Changes for Sophie
by animallover1025
Summary: Sophie Curtis must leave her old life in Woodward and go live with her cousins Ponyboy, Sodapop, and Darry Curtis after her pa is killed. Sophie is still adjusting to her new life in Tulsa, and she isn't sure if she likes it. Until one day, when she meets a certain boy, who's name is Johnny Cade. Then her world is turned upside-down.
1. Chapter 1: My Life

**Hello everyone! This is my first fanfic. I hope you guys like it! **

My stomach flipped as my horse, Tilly, raced toward the barrel. I swiftly steered her around the right side of the barrel. She made it past without knocking it over. We ran toward the center of the ring, and I pulled back on the reins. Tilly came to a halt. Mountains of dust surrounded us. I loved it. My best friend, Brook, clapped widely from the fence.

"Woo-hoo!" she cried. "Soph, that was awesome!" I beamed. I gave Tilly a pat on her neck.

"Good girl," I said to her. "You're my good sweet girl."

Tilly nickered softly. I swung off her back and took the reins. She nuzzled my shoulder playfully. I stroked her soft gray muzzle. Tilly was a white horse with tiny gray speckles all over her. She also had a gray mane, tail, legs, and hooves. I led Tilly over to Brook. Brook hopped off the fence and hugged me. When she released me, she punched my shoulder lightly.

"Nice going," she said.

"Think it was good enough for the rodeo?" I asked.

"Yes ma'am," Brook said. "Soph, I swear, your run today had gold medal written all over it."

Brook and I were champion barrel racers. We competed in rodeos every year and won shiny gold medals. We also won money. _A lot _of money. I used my money to help pay for my ranch. My pa does okay with our place. We have an old barn that's strong and standing, with a number of sixteen Quarter Horses, including Tilly. Our house is around the same age as our barn. It, too, is strong and standing. I'm proud of my pa. Things aren't always easy on him, but I take care of him, the same way he takes care of me. We're real close.

"Well," I said. "C'mon, Brookie. Help me get this lug of a horse untacked."

Tilly whinnied as if to say, _Who are _you_ calling a lug? _Brook and I laughed. Brook swatted me.

"Aren't you a lug yourself?" she teased. "You can be a stubborn as Tilly sometimes."

"What do ya expect?" I asked. "My old girl's fifteen. She's gonna be retired in a few more years."

I sighed thinking about not being able to ride Tilly any more. Riding her was like a dream. Brook put her arm around me.

"Hey now," she said. "Let's not get upset. That's not for a while."

"You're right," I said. "C'mon, let's get Tilly untacked and the horses fed. It's almost dark."

We walked out of the ring and up the hill toward the old barn. When we entered the barn, the horses whinnied and snorted. Most of them poked their heads over their stalls' doors.

"Alright, alright," I said. "Cool your jets, your food's coming soon."

I handed the reins to Brook. She held Tilly while I untied the girth and took off my saddle. I hung it on the saddle bar next to Tilly's stall. I went back over to Tilly and was about to take off saddle pad, when something stopped me. It was Mama's saddle pad, the one she gave to me when I was a little girl. The one she gave to me right before she died. I was only about eight when she died. Now I'm sixteen. I traced the fancy pattern with my finger. How I missed her . . .

"Hey Soph?" Brook said. She looked past Tilly at me. "You okay?"

All I could do was look at her. Her pale face, her long dirty blond her, her shiny green eyes, her freckles.

"This was Mama's blanket," I confessed. "She gave this to me when I was a little girl."

Brook's expression softened. We were both quiet for a few seconds. Then Brook spoke up.

"I remember your mama," she said. "She was real pretty." I looked down at the ground.

"She was, wasn't she?" I said.

"And you look just like she did," Brook continued. "Bright face, long brown hair, brown eyes. I swear, you guys were twins back then!"

I looked up at her and smiled. No wonder she was my best friend since grade school.

"Thanks Brook," I said. "That makes me feel a whole lot better."

We snapped back into reality.

"Well," Brook said. "C'mon. Let's get the horses done. I'm starving!"

I took Mama's blanket off Tilly's back and hung it on the saddle bar along with my saddle and girth.

"We have some left over chili in the ice box," I said. "I'll heat it up on the stove once we get inside."

"Mmm," Brook said rubbing her stomach. "I love chili."

I grabbed the bucket in front of Tilly's stall. It was filled with water and sponge. I took the sponge and squeezed it. Most of the water drained out. Only a little bit remained on the sponge. I went over to Tilly and began rubbing her down.

"Hey, Sophie," Brook said. "Didn't you say something about one of your cousins owning a horse named Mickey Mouse?" I thought for a minute, then it hit me.

"Yeah," I said. "Yeah, I did. My cousin, Sodapop Curtis."

Brook burst out laughing. I expected her to.

_"Sodapop?" _she asked.

I nodded and said, "Yeah, we call him Soda."

I rubbed Tilly's back and then dropped the sponge back into it's bucket. I took the reins from Brook and led Tilly into her stall. Brook stood in the doorway.

"Sodapop," she repeated. "Who names their kid Sodapop?"

I shrugged. "I don't know," I said. "My Uncle Darrel is real creative."

"No kidding," she muttered under her breath.

I patted Tilly's wet neck. "There you go, girl," I said.

Tilly came over and put her head against my chest. I kissed her forehead.

"I love you, my beautiful girl," I whispered in her ear.

She whinnied. I closed the stall door and Brook and I walked to the end of the barn were the feeding stall was. While I was making up buckets of feed, Brook was cutting hay.

"Didn't your cousin have a brother?" Brook asked.

"Two brothers," I said. "Ponyboy and Darry."

Brook fell on the floor laughing. I turned around and regarded her as if she was a two year old. When she saw my face, she tried to pull it together.

"I'm-I'm-I'm s-sor-ry, S-Sop-h," she was laughing so hard she couldn't even speak. I grabbed her by the shoulders.

"Breath," I ordered. Brook obeyed. "I know, probably no one in this universe is named Ponyboy. And it's not normal. But he's my cousin, and I love him. And I love Darry and Soda the same, too." I quickly added, _"Don't _turn that into something wrong._ Please." _

Brook opened her mouth, then shut it.

"Ha," I said.

"But Sophie," Brook said. "If you love them as much as you say, then how come you never talk about them? Their dad is your pa's brother, isn't he? Besides, when was the last time you visited them?"

I shrugged. "I don't know, maybe when I was twelve? It's really difficult for me and Pa to travel with each other, because of . . . _you know, _money problems. Usually Pa can only afford one train ticket, and that was the case the last time I visited Uncle Darrel, Aunt Pearl, and Ponyboy, Soda and Darry. And because _of _money problems, Pa had to stop visiting them, period. It's real sad, Brook. My pa can't even visit his own brother, for God's sake!"

Brook looked at me concerned.

"Gosh, Sophie. I didn't mean to make ya mad."

I shook my head to get the feeling off. This was my life, and I had to accept it.

"It's fine, you didn't make me mad. C'mon, let's just get the horses' dinner done."

We loaded the hay and the buckets of feed onto a wagon and went from stall to stall delivering it. Our horses had names like, Dash, Black Jack, Farmer, Goose, Nugget, Duke, and Indigo. When we finally finished giving the horses dinner, we ran to the big barn door. I let Brook go out first, then I shut the door behind me. It was already dark outside. The stars were everywhere in the sky, shinning bright like diamonds.

"Sure is a pretty night," Brooke said staring at the night time sky. Then she pushed me and ran toward the house.

"Last one in is a rotten egg!" she called over her shoulder. I sprinted after her.

"Hey, no fare! You got a head start!" I cried.

We got to the house in huffs and giggles, and I saw all the lights on in the kitchen.

"Brook! Pa's home!" I yelled.

We raced through the door. Pa was sitting at the kitchen table, eating chili. Two extra bowls were next to him.

"Hi Pa!" I cried and ran to hug him. His hug was warm.

"Sophie, my only, fiery, teenage daughter," he said smiling. He looked at Brook and tipped his hat.

"Well hello, little lady," he said making Brook blush.

"I got some nice hot chili right here for you girls," Pa said gesturing at our bowls. Brook and I sat down at the table.

"Yum," I said. "I'm so hungry!"

"So did you work on Tilly today?" Pa asked.

I dipped my spoon into the chili and brought it to my lips. I opened my mouth and swallowed.

"I sure did," I replied. Brook kicked in.

"Mr. Curtis, Sophie is an amazing barrel racer!" she said. "I tell you, she's gonna be a racin' legend."

I blushed. "C'mon, Brookie. I think we all know you're a better racer than me."

"Nuh-uh," she said.

"Ya! You and Bolt could bet me and Tilly any day!" I argued.

"Girls," Pa said. "You guys are both gonna be racing legends! Now enough arguing and let's talk about that new barrel race coming up."

We ate the rest of our dinner and talked about the upcoming barrel race. When me and Brook were clearing the dinner table, we heard voices coming from the hall.

"Oh no!" Brook whispered. "It's my Dad! Hide me!"

"Where, you doof?" I said as Mr. Wheeler walked into the kitchen with Pa.

"Hey Sophie," he said with a smile. He turned to Brook.

"Brookie, sweetheart, we have to go. It's dark as a ditch outside, and the longer we wait the harder it'll be to get home."

Brook and I hugged and said our good-byes, and Brook went off with her dad. Pa put his arm around me.

"You'd better head off to bed, Soph," he said. "You look offly tired, sweetie." I _was _tired.

"Alright, Pa," I said. I hugged and kissed him good-night.

"Love ya, Sophie," he said.

"Love you, too," I said.

I headed upstairs to my bedroom. Gold metals hung on my wall, along with pictures of me and Tilly and of me and Brook and of me and Pa. I took off my boats and hat and threw them into my closet. Then I slipped out of my riding jeans and plaid shirt and into a comfortable T-shirt and shorts. I walked to my dresser and sat down. I looked in the big mirror and studied my face. I tried to make myself look determined, but instead I made myself look like I had to go to the bathroom real bad. I let my long hair out of a ponytail and grabbed my comb. I began brushing my hair over and over. A few leaves and twigs got caught in my hair from my ride today. I always knock into this tree we have. The leaves reached over the fence, and I always turn too late. At the end of every ride, my hair's usually always tangled. Once I got all the leaves and twigs out of my hair, I shut out the lights and climbed into my bed. The second my face hit the pillow, I was out like a light.

**Remember to R & R!**


	2. Chapter 2: Tragedy Strikes

_I awoke to a racket coming from downstairs. I groaned and sat up. Only . . . wait. This wasn't my room. The walls were bare, and the only objects in here was the bed and a small desk with a light on it. What? That's when I noticed someone sound asleep next to me. I slowly turned. It was . . . me! As a twelve-year-old girl! A crashing sound came from downstairs, and younger Sophie opened her eyes and grunted. _Oh my God,_ I thought. _This is really frickin' scary._ I waved my arms to see if younger Sophie could see me._

_"Hello?" I said. "Sophie?"_

_Younger Sophie got out of bed and put her bare feet on the wood floor. I guess she couldn't see me. She stomped to the door and threw it open. I quietly followed her down the stairs. Younger Sophie made her way into the middle of the room where three boys were horsing around._

_"Hey guys," one with dark hair said. "Look who finally woke up."_

_I gasped because I suddenly realized it was Sodapop! _I must be dreaming about the last time I went to visit Uncle Darrel, Aunt Pearl, and the boys,_ I thought. I sat on the bottom step and watched._

_"Soda," Younger Sophie said disapprovingly. "You're almost fourteen. Haven't you learned that if you wake-up your cousin from her beauty sleep that you're in for horrible revenge?" Soda paused. Then he raised his eyebrows._

_"I'm in for what now?" he asked. _

_Younger Sophie screamed, which made me jump two feet in the air. She ran to Soda, who ran away from her. Younger Sophie jumped and tackled Soda. She started punching his shoulders violently. Soda howled like a wolf._

_"Guys!" he cried. "Get her off me!"_

_One boy, who was not a boy at all but a teenager, and who was tall with had broad shoulders, dashed over to Soda. The other boy, who had dark reddish-brown greasy hair the same as Soda, followed. The fell to the floor and tried to pry Younger Sophie off Soda. The boy with reddish-brown hair grabbed Younger Sophie's shoulders._

_"Pony!" she snapped. "Let me go!"_

_"Never!" Pony cried. He tried to pull Younger Sophie off his brother, but she slapped his hand away._

_"Sophie," the teenager who I now guessed was Darry said. "C'mon, get off Soda."_

_"Mercy!" Soda cried. "I beg of mercy! Have you no soul, Sophie?" Younger Sophie stopped punching Soda for a second._

_"Nope," she said and went right back to punching Soda._

_"Alright, alright," Soda cried. "I promise I will let you sleep in for the rest of the week." Younger Sophie paused. Then she got off Soda and flipped him onto his backside._

_"You promise?" she asked. Soda nodded._

_"I swear on Mickey Mouse's grave," he said solemnly. Younger Sophie punched Soda again._

_"Ow," Soda complained. "What was that for?"_

_"Soda!" Younger Sophie exclaimed. "Don't swear on your horse's grave!"_

_"Okay, you're right, I'm sorry," Soda apologized. He thought for a moment._

_"I swear on Bob's grave that I will let you sleep in for the rest of the week." Younger Sophie looked puzzled._

_"Who's Bob?" she asked. Soda shrugged._

_"I dunno," he said. "But I swear by his name."_

_"Okay," she said. "I forgive you." She threw her arms around him._

_"Good," Darry said. "Because if you guys were still fightin' and Mom walked through the door, she'd think that a seventeen-year-old couldn't watch his brothers and cousin for a half hour." They all laughed._

_"Where is Aunt Pearl anyway? And Uncle Darrel?" Younger Sophie asked._

_"Mom had to go to the store and buy eggs for breakfast, and Dad's at the gas station getting the car's tire fixed," Darry answered. _

_Ponyboy crawled over to the TV and turned it on. An image of Mickey Mouse appeared on the screen._

_"Oh good," he said. "Mickey's on TV." _

_All three boys piled onto the coach, Darry in the middle, and Soda and Ponyboy on either side of him. Younger Sophie just sat there on the floor._

_"You guys," she complained. "Do we always have to watch this?"_

_"Oh, c'mon Soph," Soda said. He and Darry grabbed her by the arms and hoisted her onto the coach between them. "It's not that bad."_

_Soon the four of them were quietly watching Mickey Mouse. I chuckled. I was real stubborn when I was a kid. Suddenly I heard another crashing sound, and it wasn't coming from my dream. And it was loud. So loud, that the vibrations made me wobble._

_"Whoa," I said trying to regain my balance._

_But I fell to the floor. I fell through the floor. I screamed as I fell into a black bottomless hole. As I was falling, I cried for help. From anyone. Anything. But I knew no one was going to help. No one was coming for me at all._

I woke up with a scream. Cold sweat ran down my back. I looked around wildly. I was in _my _own room in _my _own bed! I saw my dresser with the big mirror, and my wall covered in pictures. And my medals hanging in their usual place. My head spun. _It was just a dream, _I told myself over and over. _It was just a dream. _Suddenly the crashing sound came again. And I didn't dream it. At least, I don't think I did. Fear crept over me. Where was Pa? Was he alright? Should I hide in my room or go investigate? Without another thought, I jumped out of bed and opened the door. I crept down the hall and to the top of the stairs. The kitchen lights were on, and two strangers stuffed items into bags. My heart raced. Robbers! I let out a small shriek, but that was a mistake. The robbers looked up.

"Hey!" one of them yelled.

Every once of blood in my body fell to my feet. One of them ran toward the stairs. I dashed to my room. As I was about to grab the doorknob, someone grabbed my foot. I fell on the floor.

"I gotcha now!" The robber cried, his voice booming through the hall. I screamed.

"PA!" I yelled. The robber looked at me maliciously.

"Your Pa ain't comin'," he told me.

He grabbed me by the foot and dragged me down the hall. I squirmed and kicked, but it was no use.

"Give up," he told me. Just then, he bumped into someone.

"Floyd," he growled. The robber spun around. "I told you to . . ."

He stopped, because the person he had ran into wasn't any Floyd. It was Pa. Pa punched the robber in the face, and he fell to the floor.

"Run, Sophie!" Pa yelled.

I scrambled to my feet. I ran down the hall to my room, with Pa right on my heels. I was just about to open the door again, when I heard yelling from down the hall. And suddenly, there were gun shots. I flew to the floor and covered my head with my arms. I heard a cry of agony, and a big bang behind me. I scrambled to turn around.

"Pa," I asked. "Are you . . ." I gasped in fright.

To my horror, Pa was lying on the floor, a hole in the side of his head. Blood trickled down his face.

"PA!" I screamed, and collapsed on the floor next to him. He struggled to speak.

"Sophie," he gasped. I grabbed his bloody hands.

"PA!" I screamed. Tears slipped down my face. "D-do-don't l-le-eave m-me!" I sobbed.

"Sophie . . ." he touched my face. "It's okay . . . Sophie . . . it's okay."

"No!" I cried. I squeezed his hands and sobbed harder. "I w-won't l-lose yo-u!"

"You're . . ." Pa squeezed my hands. "You're going to be . . . just fine. I . . . love . . . you."

"Pa!" I sobbed. "No!"

My face was a mess of tears. Pa gave my hands one last squeeze, and then he died.

"NOO!" I screamed. I sobbed into his shirt. "Not yo-you too! I l-love you! I n-need you!"

But I knew he was gone. Forever. Now he and Mama both. Just then, the robber came down the hall, with his gun armed. He ran toward me, screaming. I got to my feet and was able to get into my room. I slammed the door shut, then locked it. I heard the bang when the robber knocked against it. I had to think, and _fast. _I looked around my room for an escape. Aha! My window! I ran to my window and threw it open. I looked down at the ground. Then I heard whinnies from outside. I glanced up. The barn doors wide open, and three men were herding horses away from our house and out into the open field with long, pointy sticks. I caught Tilly being pushed with one of the sticks.

"Tilly!" I shouted.

I saw her ears prick up. She pointed her head in the direction of my voice. She whinnied, and when she did one of the men hit her with the pointy end of the stick. She screamed in pain.

"Get away from her, you rotten fools!" I screamed.

My door was hit again, and this time it broke open. I whipped around. The robber looked around my room and spotted me. He ran over. I made an attempt to jump out my window, but he caught me by the collar. He pulled me back. I screamed and kicked.

"Let me go!" I screamed.

"Quit," he snapped.

He put one arm around my neck, and he choked me. I tried to bit his arm, but he slapped my face. In his other hand, he held a gun up to my head.

"Any last words?" He asked in his harsh voice. Suddenly there was another banging sound from downstairs.

"Police!" I heard someone shout. "Show yourselves!"

"What?" the robber cried.

He let me go and went turned toward the door. Suddenly, out came his hand with his gun in it. The side of his gun, the same gun that had killed Pa, hit me hard in the side of my face. I fell to the floor, and the world went black.


	3. Chapter 3: Horrible News

I awoke to whispering voices all around me. I sat up in bed, but kept my eyes closed. A shock went through my head, and I gasped in pain. I slowly lay back down. I felt like someone had shot me in the head. Shot in the head. That sounded familiar. I tried to remember what happened, but I couldn't. Just trying to think made my head hurt even worse. I rolled over on my side and moaned in pain. I tightly clutched my pillow. Suddenly, I felt a hand on my shoulder. I sat back up in bed.

"Who's there?" I demanded. Another shock went through my head, and I lay back down again. "Ow, ow, _ow," _I whispered.

"Sweetie." The kind voice of a woman spoke to me. I didn't know if I was having another dream.

"Mama?" I asked. A hand touched my face.

"I'm not your mother, dear," the voice said. "But don't worry, I won't hurt you. You're in good hands now. Please go back to sleep, it'll make your head feel better. I promise."

I didn't know if she was doing anything to me, but suddenly I felt real tired and fell into a deep sleep.

When I woke up, it was morning. My vision was a little blurry at first. As it strengthened, I looked around the room. I realized I wasn't in my own bedroom. I was in a hospital bedroom. I'd never been in one before. It was real small. A little bit of sunlight crept through the blinds of the window. Two carts with medical equipment were on both sides of the bed. A nurse with crazy red curls and shinning blue eyes walked in the room. She carried a clipboard.

"Oh look, someone's awake," she said with a smile. "How are you feeling, Sophie?" I blinked.

"I'm-I'm fine," I stammered. I was puzzled. "Uh, nurse? How did I get in the hospital?"

"Oh, sweetie," she said softly. "You were hit in the face with a gun, and then you blacked out." At her words, my hands flew to the side of my face where I *think* I felt pain last night. There was a huge bump there, covered by a bandage the same size.

"Did I wake up at all last night?" I asked the nurse, who was now writing information down on the clipboard. She looked up.

"Yes, you did," she told me. "Some folks came by to visit you and make sure you were alright, but we couldn't let them in because you were delirious." People? What people?

"Who were they?" I asked. The nurse paused.

"Why, it was the Wheeler family." I looked up.

"Shane, Gabriel and Brook Wheeler?" I practically shouted. The nurse looked amused.

"Yes," she said. "How did you know?"

"I've known them for years," I explained. "Brook Wheeler has been my best friend since grade school. We're practically sisters!" The nurse nodded slowly.

"Are they here now?" I asked getting up. But the nurse lightly pushed me back down.

"No, Sophie," she said. "No one's here to see you right now." Anger began to boil inside of me.

"I want to see them," I said. My voice was rising. "I want to see them now!" The nurse adjusted her cap.

"Well, sweetie, I'm afraid that's-" I didn't wait for her to finish.

"I want them right now!" I yelled.

The nurse looked at me like I was on high on drugs. She must of been thinking, _Oh dear. She's still real delirious. What should I do? _Then she sighed.

"Alright," she said. "I'll ask the doctor if you may have visitors. But I'm not making any promises!"

She walked out of the room._ I wonder what the doctor will say, _I thought. I hoped it was "yes," because I really needed some company. I waited patiently for about ten minutes. The nurse returned with a big smile on her face.

"Great news, Sophie," she told me. "The doctor said yes! He's calling up the Wheeler family right now. He's telling them to come by in an hour or so, cause' before you see _anyone,_ we need to give you a check-up and get some food inside of you. Now, c'mon."

The nurse led me into an examining room. She had me sit on a metal table. My hospital gown nearly reached down to my knees. She took a bunch of instruments from her cart. First she checked my temperature. Then she looked at my eyes, ears, nose, and mouth. When she was done, she asked for a bunch of information about myself. It was like I was being interviewed for a news article. The nurse wrote down everything I said. The weird thing was she didn't ask me anything about where I lived or who my family was. I had a feeling that something was missing, but I didn't know what.

"Okay Sophie," she said. "You're gonna be just fine. You just need a little bit more rest."

"But not now, right?" I asked anxiously. "Because the Wheelers are coming to see me." The nurse smiled.

"Yes," she said. "You'll go to sleep _after _the Wheelers visit you."

The nurse led me back into my hospital bedroom and fixed me breakfast. She made me a tray of eggs and bacon, my favorite. Then she left the room. When I took the first bite, it tasted weird. But I didn't care, I was starvin'. And I didn't expect hospital food to taste great anyway. When I was right in the middle of my meal, the nurse came back.

"Sophie," she said. "The Wheelers are here." I quickly gobbled up the rest of what was on my plate.

"Slow down," the nurse ordered. "You don't have to finish it all." I threw my empty tray on the dresser next to the bed.

The door slowly creaked open. There stood Mr. and Mrs. Wheeler and Brook. Mrs. Wheeler carried a bouquet of flowers.

"Hey y'all," I said.

"Hey Sophie," Mr. Wheeler said softly. "How ya feeling?"

"Better," I answered.

My eyes feel on Brook. Her eyes were shiny, and something slipped down her cheek. I realized Brook was crying. I gave her a warm smile that said, _Don't worry Brookie. I'm fine. _

"Oh, Sophie!" Brook cried. She ran to the bed and threw her arms around me. I did the same. Brook started sobbing into my gown.

"I th-thought I lo-lost you," she sobbed. I rubbed her back. Tears slipped down my cheeks, too.

"I'm fine," I assured her. Brook pulled back. She wiped her eyes with her sleeve. Now I saw her eyes where full of worry.

"Oh, Sophie, you're real brave," she told me. I cocked one eyebrow.

"What do ya mean?" I asked. Brook and her folks shared a look. Mr. and Mrs. Wheeler took a step closer to the bed.

"It was a terrible night," Mrs. Wheeler said. "The police called us up and told us your house was robbed, you got knocked out, and your pa . . ." She stopped.

I suddenly remembered what happened. Me running down the hall, the shooting, that cry of agony coming from . . . Pa. Pa was shot in the head. He died.

"No," my voice shook tearfully. "No, no, _please_ don't tell me Pa's dead."

But I knew it was true. Angry tears slipped down my cheeks. He was dead. Mrs. Wheeler sat down on the bed next to me. She gathered me in her arms. I buried my face in her sweater.

"Oh, Sophie," she said softly. I began to sob hard. But the sobbing made my head hurt again. I pulled back.

"Ow," I said in misery. I rubbed my forehead and looked down.

"Why?" I whispered. "Why did Pa have to die? He was such a great man." I felt Brook put her arm around me in comfort. But it only made me feel worse.

"Sophie? If you'd like to talk to the sheriff, he's here." I looked up at the nurse. I gave her a small nod. A big man in a sheriff's uniform walked in the room.

"Hello Sophie," he said. I tried to smile.

"Hi," I whispered.

"John," Mr. Wheeler said. "Sophie'd like to know what happened at her house last night." The sheriff sat down in a chair.

"It was a wild night, Sophie, let me tell," he said. "We got a call from your pa that your house was bein' robbed. We got there as quickly as we could. And when we did, it was a mad house. Horses were all over the place, and part of the front of your house was a wreck. Once we got in, we found some guy in your kitchen. We made our way upstairs, and found your pa dead on the floor with blood leaking from his head."

I shivered uncontrollably, remembering the hole in the side of Pa's head. All the blood. Me clutching his hands for dear life . . . _Stop, _I told myself. _You're not making things any better by remembering that scary night. _

". . . and then we found you on the floor, unconscious," the sheriff finished. I was sucked back into reality.

"Sir," I said in a small voice. "Wh-what did you say about the guy who-who killed my pa?"

"We found him trying to climb out your bedroom window," the sheriff repeated. "But he didn't go no where. We threw him in the back of the police car."

"What about the horses?" I asked. "What happened to them?"

"Gone," the sheriff said. "Not one of them was in sight after we were done in the house." My heart sank. That meant Tilly was gone. Forever. My beautiful mare.

"Great," I muttered. "Now I'm probably gonna get sued."

"What's that?" the sheriff asked.

"Most of those horses, weren't ours," I explained. "We only owned about eight, including my horse, Tilly. The rest of them belonged to other folks who paid to have their horses boarded at our barn. That's how we were able to afford our horses in the first place." I huffed. "And now, because all the horses are gone, I'm probably gonna be sued by the owners."

"I wouldn't worry bout that, Sophie," the sheriff said. "I'll work _something _out with the owners." He went on with the story. "After the ambulance came to take you away, we were able to find your pa's contact book. We where able to find the Wheeler's number, and so we called them up."

"We where scared to death when John told us what happened," Mr. Wheeler said. "Especially Brookie here." Brook blushed.

"We rushed to the hospital to make sure you where okay, but they wouldn't let us in because you were still delirious," Mr. Wheeler finished.

"What's gonna happen now?" I asked.

"Well," the sheriff said. "You can't live back at your house because it's a crime scene. And you most certainly can't live by yourself."

"Why not?" I demanded.

"Oh, Sophie," Mrs. Wheeler said. "You're sixteen-years-old."

"Then why don't I live with you guys?" I asked her. Brook jumped up.

"Yes, Mom!" she exclaimed. "Can Sophie live with us? We'll be like real sisters!"

_"No,"_ the sheriff said. "Sophie needs to live with her _real _family." Brook turned to her folks.

"But-"

"No, 'buts'," the sheriff said. He turned to me. My heart beat faster.

"Sophie," he said slowly. "Do you know if you have any relatives?" I lump formed in my throat. I nodded.

"Yes," I said. "My Uncle Darrel and Aunt Pearl. But they live all the way in Tulsa, and that's two-and-a-half hours by a train from here, and-" The sheriff held up his hand.

"If they're your only living relatives, then you need to move to Tulsa." Angry tears slipped down my cheeks again.

"But I don't wanna move to Tulsa!" I wailed. "I wanna stay right here, with the Wheelers! I don't even know anyone in Tulsa, or if I'll like it!" I began to sob again. I was acting like a two-year-old, but I didn't care. My only parent I had left just died, and now I had to move far away to Tulsa. Brook hugged me. I saw her blink back tears.

"No sheriff," her voice shook. "Please don't take my best friend away from me. _Please." _

"Sweetie," the nurse said. "This is for Sophie's own good." Brook and I looked at each other.

"Please," I whispered. But I knew there was nothing I could do to change the sheriff's mind. I was moving to Tulsa.


	4. Chapter 4: Good-Byes

I had to stay in the hospital for another day after that. As soon as I recovered, I would be put on the next train to Tulsa. Before my visitors left, the sheriff told me he would contact Uncle Darrel and Aunt Pearl. As soon as everyone walked out of the room, I fell into a deep sleep. It was so deep, that I slept through the whole day right into the next morning.

"You feeling better, Sophie?" the nurse asked.

My head felt better, but my heart didn't. I was angry at the sheriff for practically _making me _move to Tulsa, and I was mad at Mr. and Mrs. Wheeler for not defending me and saying something like, "Now hold on a minute, exactly _why _can't Sophie live with us?" And the worst part about all of this? I didn't even have a saying. I didn't want to leave Brook. She's my best and only friend.

"I'm feeling fine," I lied.

"Sheriff is coming by again to see you," she told me. "He'll be here in a few minutes."

Great. I'm so excited to see the guy who kicked me out of my own hometown. The nurse served me another breakfast of eggs and bacon. But I wasn't hungry. While I was in the middle of playing with my food, the nurse appeared at the door.

"Sophie," she said. "Sheriff's hear to see you." I put my tray on the dresser. The sheriff stepped into the room.

"Ten minutes," the nurse told him. "She's still in progress."

"Hello Sophie," he said. "I'm glad to see you're feeling better."

_Yeah, that's what you think, _I thought angrily.

"Listen," he said. "I called up your Uncle Darrel and Aunt Pearl yesterday. But a young man named Darry answered the phone. Do you know who Darry is?"

"Darry?" I asked. "Yeah, he's my cousin."

"Well, I told him what was goin' on here, and he wants to talk to you today."

"Really?" I asked. "I mean, it's been so long. I haven't seen my pa's family since I was twelve."

"Well," the sheriff sighed. "There's a lot that's happened with their family over the past year. So let's call them, shall we?"

I got out of bed and followed the sheriff down the hall to where the phones were. The sheriff took out a small notebook. Then he picked up the phone and dialed the number. He held it to his ear.

"It's ringing," he told me. After a few seconds, I heard a voice on the other end.

"Darry," said the sheriff. "Hello again, this is Sheriff John calling from the hospital." He waited. "Yes, she's fine. She'd actually like to talk to you."

The sheriff looked at me.

"Alright," he said. He took the phone away from his ear.

"Sophie," he said. "There's someone who'd like to talk to you."

I took the phone from him. I pressed it against my ear.

"Hello?" I said.

"Hey Sophie," A deep voice said. "How you doing?"

"Darry!" I cried. "Oh, it's so good to talk to you again! I'm doing better, but it's still hard to believe what's been going on."

"I'm so sorry to hear about . . . well, you know . . . Uncle Joe's death and all." I took a deep breath to stop myself from bawling.

"It's okay," I whispered. "He's in a better place now, and he's with Mama. That's all he's ever wanted since she died."

"And he's with Mom and Dad, too," Darry added.

"Yeah," I agreed. Then I realized what he'd said. "Wait . . . what?" Darry took a deep breath.

"Sophie . . . Mom and Dad died in a car wreck a year ago," he confessed. "We've been meaning to tell you . . . but with things the way they were, we just never got around to it."

I was struck dumb. Uncle Darrel and Aunt Pearl were . . . dead? I gripped the phone tightly.

"Oh my God," I shook my head. "Darry, I'm real sorry. I didn't know."

"Nah, it's fine," Darry said. But he didn't sound fine.

"So, how are things at your place?" I asked changing the subject.

"Great," he said. "We can't wait to have you here! In fact, Pony and Soda are cleaning up the house for you right now." I laughed.

"Darry, don't tell me you're making those poor boys your workers," I teased.

"No, no, don't worry," he said. "Soon as I'm off the phone, I'll go help them, alright?"

"Alright," I said.

"So you're on the next train to Tulsa in the morning?" he asked.

"Yup," I said. "Soon as I'm out of the hospital. I'm supposed to be checked out by eight, so I'll probably be on the train by nine and get to Tulsa around ten-thirty or eleven."

"Cool," Darry said. "We can't wait to see ya again."

"Me neither," I said. Suddenly the nurse came around the corner. She cleared her voice and tapped her watch. I groaned.

"Darry, I'm sorry, but I gotta go." I lowered my voice. "Commander and chief nurse over here is making me watch my minutes of freedom." Darry laughed.

"Alright, see ya tomorrow?" he asked.

"Yeah, totally. I can't wait!" I squealed. Darry chuckled.

"Bye, Sophie," he said. Then he hung up. I put the phone back and followed the nurse to my room.

I climbed back into bed. The sheriff stood in the doorway.

"Everything okay, Sophie?" he asked. I nodded.

"Good," he said. "Oh, by the way, I'm going to go be stopping by your house later today to check things out. If you want, I'll see if I can find some items of yours that still remain."

"Um . . ." Did I _really _want to be remembered of my life here, once I moved to Tulsa? But I found myself saying "okay" anyway.

"Great," he said. "Well, I'd better get going. My ten minutes is up!" He belly-laughed.

"Good day, Sophie," he said. Then he disappeared from the doorway.

The next day, the Wheelers drove me down to the train station. That morning, the sheriff came to the hospital while the Wheelers were checking me out. He had my old suitcase that he'd found. It peeked inside. It was loaded with my cloths and memories. Now, Mr. Wheeler loaded my bags onto the train.

"Promise you'll write to me every week?" Brook asked. Her eyes were as shiny as mine.

"I promise," I said. "I hope you'll visit often. It'll be so boring in Tulsa without you around."

"I'll definitely be visiting you three weeks after you've settled in," she promised. I nodded.

"Good," was all I could say. I'd miss Brook so much. I just knew I'd hate in it Tulsa. The train's horn blew.

"Well," Brook said.

"Well," I said. Brook sighed.

"I guess this is it," I said. Brook and I hugged good-bye.

"I'll miss you so much," she whispered. I squeezed her.

"Me too," I whispered back.

I hugged Mr. and Mrs. Wheeler good-bye, too. I was a little less mad at them now. I climbed onto the train and found a window seat facing the platform. The train's horn blew again, and we slowly began to move forward. I looked out the window. Brook and her folks waved madly on the platform. I couldn't do anything but smile. I waved back as we pulled away from the station. I waved and waved until I couldn't see them anymore.


	5. Chapter 5: The Curtis Boys

Two-and-a-half hours later, we were a mile away from Tulsa. I woke up from my long nap when the train's horn blew. I looked out the window. I saw endless grassy fields, and the sky looked like it was moving. The train slowed down and we made our way into an area with some trees. Not before long, we pulled into a train station. There were lots of people waiting on the platform. The train's horn blew again, and it slowed to a stop. I got up and grabbed my suitcase. People in front of me scrambled to get off the train. When I stepped off, I felt like I was in a different world. Well, not a different world, but in a different town. I _was _in a different town. I scanned the platform nervously. What if I never found Pony, Soda, and Darry? They may not even look like they did when we were kids. Well, maybe except for Darry, because he technically _wasn't_ a kid. I looked around for a tall man with broad shoulders, when I thought I heard the name Ponyboy.

"Look around, Ponyboy. Do you see her?" I turned my head in the direction of the voice and spotted three guys leaning against a wall. I waved.

"Guys!" I called.

They all looked at me. Big smiles crossed their faces as I fast-walked over to them. When I got there, we all just stood and stared at each other. But after five seconds, Darry pulled us into a big group-hug.

"Sophie," he said when we pulled all away. "It's so good to see you again!"

"You too!" I said smiling. "How have you guys been?"

"Fine these days," Pony said.

"Sophie, what happened to ya?" Soda asked me. "You've grown! You're no little girl any more." I beamed. "How old are you anyway?"

"I'm sixteen now," I said. "How old are you boys?"

"I'm twenty-one," Darry said.

"I'm eighteen," Soda said.

"And I'm fifteen," Pony said.

I took them all in. They had all had really changed over the years. Pony had longer hair than his brothers. It was now a light-brown color instead of a chocolate brown, but it still had a reddish color in the mix too. He had green-gray eyes, and he was really thin. Jeez, doesn't the kid ever eat? Soda also looked much different then when he was thirteen-going-on-fourteen. Back then, his hair was a dark reddish-brown color, like Pony's. Now, it was a golden wheat color. But he still had dancing brown eyes. Darry was pretty much the only one who hadn't changed. He still had dark hair and eyes, and he was still tall and muscular.

"Well then I stand corrected!" I exclaimed. "You guys aren't boys anymore." They all smiled at me. I smirked at Soda.

"So, Soda?" I began. "_Now_ do ya think you'll be able to defend yourself if a certain girl attacks you again?"

Soda shoved me.

"Ya, I think so," he said.

"Okay guys, let's go home," Darry said. "I'll make some lunch and Sophie can get settled in."

Darry took my suitcase and we all walked down the truck. Darry tossed my suitcase in the back and we all squeezed into the truck. Darry and Soda were up front, cramming me and Pony in the back. Darry started the truck and we slowly pulled away from the train station. We were on the road for about 10-15 minutes. We made our way through a town. A few blocks down from the park, we pulled up to a small house. Darry stopped the truck and took out the keys. Everyone climbed out but me. Ponyboy looked back at me, confusion in his eyes.

"C'mon, Soph," he said. "What are ya waiting for?"

"I'm stuck," I replied. My knees were up to my chest. Ponyboy snorted.

"You get used to it after a while," he told me. "C'mon, give me your hand."

I reached for his hand and he pulled me out of the truck. Pony went to the back of the truck and grabbed my suitcase. I took it from him and we walked inside together. Stepping back into the house was like stepping back into my past. Nothing had changed. I plopped my suitcase down on the floor and went to the kitchen. Soda was lying on the couch watching Mickey Mouse on TV (what a surprise), and Darry was at the table making sandwiches. I pulled out a chair and sat down.

"Sophie what kind of sandwich would you like?" Darry asked me.

"Do you have turkey and cheese?" I asked. Darry nodded.

"Is it okay if I go to my room?" I asked.

"Sure," Darry said. "You go unpack. I'll call you down when lunch is ready."

I got up and grabbed my suitcase. I headed upstairs to the quest bedroom. A note was tapped to the door. It said: _Soon To Be Sophie's Bedroom. _I took the note off the door and stepped inside the room. It was exactly how I remembered it: Plain walls, wood floor. There were still only two pieces of furniture and a single closet. I walked to the bed and opened up my suitcase. Inside, there were some pairs of cloths, and a few of my old medals and pictures. I lifted one medal up. It was the medal I won for _Barrel Racer of the Year. _There were about four other medals. They were the medals I'd won for things like _Fastest Racer,_ or _Smooth Cruiser._ Underneath the medals were pictures. There were three sets of three pictures of me and Brook, me and Pa, and me and Tilly. Tears sprang into my eyes, and I wiped them away with the back of my hand.

"Sophie!" Darry called. "Lunch!"

I raced downstairs. Everyone was sitting at the table already eating. I took a seat next to Ponyboy, where a massive sandwich awaited on my plate. No one spoke the entire meal. We just quietly ate. When everyone finished I went back upstairs and unpacked. I hung my metals and pictures on the wall to make the room a little less-dull. I took out all of my cloths and put them in the closet. I was about to throw my suitcase in the closet too, when something caught my eye. At the very bottom, was Mama'a horse blanket. I was struck dumb. I thought the horse blanket would of been stolen! I carefully lifted it out of my suitcase. I curled up on the bed and hugged it close to my heart.

I don't know what happened, but I fell asleep. It was late afternoon when I woke up. I heard voices coming from downstairs. I got out of bed and crept down the hall.

"C'mon, Darry," someone said. "We want to meet the newest member of your family!"

"No," Darry said. "She's sound asleep upstairs. She just got here all the way from Woodward, and my Uncle Joe who was her father just passed away three days ago."

"Poor kid," the same guy said.

"I promise you Two-Bit, you'll get to meet her tomorrow," Darry said.

"But I want to meet her now!" the guy who I assumed who was named "Two-Bit" argued. Man, kids sure have weird names in Tulsa.

"Yeah!" someone else agreed.

"Steve, you've already met Sophie," Soda said. Was Soda talking to Steve _Randle?_ Little Steve?

"Yeah, but that was like, what? Six years ago?" Steve said.

"You will wait like everyone else," Darry said. I could tell by the sound of his voice his was getting impatient.

"Speaking of which," Ponyboy said. "Where _is _everyone else?"

"Dally's in the slammer for two weeks," Two-Bit said. I heard Ponyboy groan.

"What'd he do this time?" he asked.

"He was harassing some woman who had a kid with her, and she called the fuzz," Two-Bit said.

"Oh, Dally," Soda said.

"What about Johnny?" Ponyboy asked in a worried way. "Is he okay?"

There was a long pause.

"No, Ponyboy," Two-Bit said angrily. "I haven't seen him all day."

"His folks are probably beating the s**t out of him again," Steve snapped.

"F**king ba****ds!" Two-Bit practically shouted.

"Two-Bit!" Darry said. "Sophie's sleeping."

"I'm sure Johnny will be here to meet Sophie tomorrow," Soda said.

"Right," Two-Bit and Steve said together. I heard the door open.

"See ya tomorrow, then," Two-Bit said.

"Bye guys," Steve said.

Then the door slammed shut. I tip-toed back into my room. I didn't want to think about some poor kid getting beaten and some guy harassing a women with a kid. I closed the door and jumped on the bed. The minute I lay down I fell fast asleep.

**So guys, that's it! The next chapter is when Sophie meets everyone in the gang, except for Dally, of course. And let's just say, something "special" happens to Sophie that makes her believe that life in Tulsa may not be as bad as she thought. Unfortunately, I'm moving into my new house this weekend, so I don't know how long it will be before chapter 6 is posted. I'm hoping it won't be any longer than the following weekend, but I can't be sure. I promise I'll update as soon as I get the internet back (oh God, help me! How will I ever survive without the internet? Lol). Just try to be patient. Do it for Johnny! Stay gold, everyone! ;) **

** -Jessica **


	6. Chapter 6: The Day I Met Johnny Cade

**Hey guys! Jessica here, and I want to thank you all for being so patient. Moving's been a pain, and we still don't have internet access. The only reason I was able to post tonight is because I'm at my mom's work office. So, as you can see, it may be a whle beofre I get another chapter posted :( Oh well. I'm really excited about this chapter. Sophie _finially _gets to meet Johnny, yay! My friend, Cat, has been nagging me ever since I started the story about when Sophie gets to meet Johnny, so I'm dedicating this chapter to her. I hope you guys like it! Stay gold, everyone! **

When I woke up, it was morning again. _I really have to stop sleeping so much, _I thought to myself. I hopped out of bed and changed into a red plaid shirt and an old pair of jeans. I pulled my shoes on and grabbed my comb. I walked down the hall to the bathroom and silently closed the door behind me. I looked at myself in the mirror. My hair was a mess of tangles, the way it always was in the mornings. I began roughly combing through my hair. Once it was_ finally _all un-tangled, I put it back in a ponytail. I left the bathroom and headed downstairs. I passed by Ponyboy, who was sitting on the coach reading a book (I think it was _Gone With the Wind)_. He didn't even notice I walked right past him! In the kitchen, Darry was at the stove making scrambled eggs, and Soda was getting chocolate cake (_chocolate cake?_) out of the ice box.

"There's our little zombie," Soda said setting the cake down in the middle of the table. I pointed to it.

"Chocolate cake?" I asked. "For _breakfast?"_

"Yup," Darry said. "It's a family tradition."

"Yeah, ever since Mom and Dad died," Soda whispered to me.

Darry came over to the table with a frying pan. He put scrambled eggs on everyone's plate.

"But you know Sophie, you don't have to eat the cake if you don't like it," Darry teased. I held my hand up.

"Oh, you did _not _just go there," I said offended. "You are talking to _The Queen _of Chocolate."

"You'll be The Queen of Zombies if you sleep any later," Soda muttered under his breath.

I gave him a look. He smiled, pleased with my reaction.

"Alright, little buddy," Darry said coming to my rescue. "Enough teasing Sophie."

"Hey Pony?" Soda said. Ponyboy didn't look up from his book.

"Ponyboy Curtis," Darry said. Ponyboy looked at us.

"Huh?" he said. "What?"

Darry, Soda, and I chuckled.

"Breakfast is ready," Darry said rolling his eyes.

Pony jumped up and headed over to the table. We all sat down, me and Pony sitting across from Darry and Soda.

"So Sophie," Soda said digging into his eggs. "You know you're famous here already? And you've only been here a day-and-a-half."

I was about to help myself to some chocolate cake. I looked at Soda.

"Famous," I repeated. Soda nodded.

"Our friends are dying to meet ya," Darry said. "They can't wait to welcome another girl Greaser into the gang."

Now I was about to _eat _my chocolate cake, my fork in mid-air. I put it down on my plate.

"Greaser," I repeated. "What's a Greaser?"

Darry, Soda, and Pony all shared a look.

"What?" I demanded. Darry took a deep breath and I knew I was in for a lecture about the history of Greasers.

"Sophie," he began. "There's a lot of trouble that goes on in Tulsa that you need to know. So right now, we're gonna tell you the most important information." I nodded.

"In this town, there's an East Side, and a West Side," Soda said.

"The East side is were we live, the Greasers," Pony said. "We're considered 'poor' and 'dirty' and 'trouble makers'." He took a swig of orange juice.

"Greasers are part of gangs, and in our gangs we look out for each other, and we're family," Soda said.

"Okay," I said. "So how is_ that_ trouble?"

"It's not," Darry said. "The real trouble is the Socs."

"Socs," I repeated.

"It's short for 'Social'," Soda told me.

"What the hell are Socs?" I asked.

"Exactly," Pony said. "The Socs are the filthy-rich kids who live on the West Side. They're free to do whatever they want."

"And what the do," Darry said. "Is get drunk and jump Greasers for fun."

My stomach tightened.

"They _jump __Greasers?" _I squeaked. Ponyboy, Soda, and Darry all nodded.

"Have _you guys _ever been jumped?" I asked. They all nodded again.

"So I thought you might want to know about that," Darry said. "And listen closely, Sophie. If you're ever by yourself, and you see a Mustang car following you, _run. _As fast as you can to safety. A Mustang is a Socs' car. And if the Socs _do_ catch you, punch and kick and do whatever you can to get away from them. Those kids are out for blood, let me tell."

"Maybe you ought to give her a blade, Darry," I heard Soda whisper to him. _A blade?! _

"That won't be necessary," Darry whispered back. "She's gonna be hanging out with the gang today. Maybe after she's been here a week or so."

I went pale. Pony saw this and he rubbed my back.

"Don't worry," he assured me. "We'll keep you safe."

We ate the rest of breakfast in silence. My head was spinning. _Socs. Drunk. Jumping Greasers. Killing. Switchblades._ I pushed away the thought. This was my second day in Tulsa, so I might as well try to make the best of it. The minute after the table was cleared, (literally, _a_ _minute), _two rowdy boys burst through the door.

"Where is she?" One with thick compacted swirled hair asked excited. Soda grabbed his arm.

"C'mon, Steve," he said. "Calm down."

"I haven't see Sophie in six years, man," he replied.

I burst out of the kitchen.

"Is that you, Steve Randle?" I asked smiling. Steve ran to me and gave me a big hug.

"Aw, Sophie," he said. "It's so good to see ya again!"

I pulled away.

"You're taller than me now," I pointed out. "I guess that means you're not a _little _Steve anymore!" I burst into laughter.

"Yeah," he shot back. "So I guess that means _you _can't call me that anymore!"

"Oh no," I said. "I'll find away."

Steve hadn't changed a bit. He was still his cocky, smart self. He was wearing the same work cloths as Soda.

I smiled. The other boy, who looked about nineteen, stared at me.

"So you're the Great Sophie Curtis," he said. I nodded.

"That's me," I said.

"The name's Mathews," he said. "Two-Bit Mathews."

So that was Two-Bit. He looked like a nice guy. He had rusty-colored sideburns and blue eyes. He was wearing a gray T-shirt with Mickey Mouse on the front and ripped-up jeans. Two-Bit held out his hand and I shook it.

"You're name is really Two-Bit?" I asked. Two-Bit shook his head.

"Nuh-uh," he said. "My real name's Keith. But everyone calls me Two-Bit. And so will you, or else you're gonna be in more trouble then you even new existed."

I held my hands up and laughed.

"Alright, alright," I said. "I got it. No need to threaten me."

Pony looked at Steve and Two-Bit.

"Where's Johnny?" he asked. "Is he coming?"

Two-Bit looked puzzled.

"Yeah," he said. "He walked with us."

Steve went to the door and poked his head out.

"Hey Johnny!" he called. "Hurry up, would ya?"

A few seconds later, another boy came through the door. My heart stopped. He was_ really_ good looking. He had jet black hair that was heavily greased and combed to the side, but so long that it fell in shaggy bangs across his forehead. His dark eyes fit his tanned face perfectly. He also had a scar on his cheek that made him look tough. He had a slight build that made him slim in size, even slimmer than Ponyboy. He was wearing a jean jacket with matching jeans to go with it. He quietly talked with Ponyboy. I stared at him.

Two-Bit noticed this right away and grabbed the boy's arm. He pulled him toward me.

"Enough talking," Two-Bit told him. "You need to meet the newest member of the Curtis family."

The boy stared at Two-Bit. Then his eyes fell on me. He gave me a shy smile.

"Hi, nice to meet you," he said softly. "I'm Johnny."

"I'm Sophie," I whispered.

"What?" he asked.

"Sophie," I said feeling myself blush.

"Oh, Sophie," he said. "That's a nice name."

"Thanks," I said happily.

Steve came over to us with a malicious look on his face. _Oh no, _I though. _This can't be good. __  
_

"Yup, this is _whittle_ Sophie Curtis right here," he teased. I glared at him.

I knew he would get me back for calling him "Little Steve" over the years. But did he have to do it _right _now? When there was an extremely cute boy right in front of me?

"Steve," I warned. But he didn't stop there. His arm slipped round my neck.

"She's Pony, Soda, and Darry's _whittle_ cousin," he continued.

I peeled Steve's arm off me. I took a step back so I could look him in the eyes.

"For your information, Steve, I'm sixteen," I said. Steve looked shocked.

"Holy crap!" he remarked.

"You're sixteen?" Johnny asked me. I turned my attention back to him.

"Yup," I said. "How old are you?"

_Please don't have him be too old for me! _I begged to the world.

"Seventeen," he answered.

_Yes! _We were only a year apart. That wasn't too bad. In fact, it wasn't bad at all!

"Cool," I said stupidly.

"Well," Darry said. He turned to Soda and Steve. "C'mon, guys. We'd better be getting to work."

"Soph, you sure you'll be okay?" Soda asked me. I nodded.

"Don't worry about her," Two-Bit said. "I'll babysit her and Pony."

Hearing this, Ponyboy jumped up and tackled Two-Bit. They fell hard on the floor. I jumped out of the way, and someone caught me. I looked up. It was Johnny, who was peering at me from under his long bangs. I blushed.

"Sorry," I said as I steadied myself. I wrapped my arms tight around my ribs. I took a step away from him.

"It's fine," Johnny said. He smiled at me. My heart fluttered.

We watched Two-Bit put Pony in a head lock.

"I'm fifteen, Two-Bit," Ponyboy managed to say. "You don't need to 'babysit' me!"

"You need to be watched," Two-Bit said.

"But not babysat!" Pony argued. He tried to jab Two-Bit in the ribs. "You're choking me to death, Two-Bit!"

"Two-Bit," Darry said walking past them. "Lay off."

"Yeah, Two-Bit," Pony agreed. Two-Bit got off of Pony and stood up.

"Besides," Pony said meeting Two-Bit's eyes. "You'd have to babysit me, Sophie, _and _Johnny, smart one."

Two-Bit went to the opposite side of Johnny. He put his hand on his shoulder.

"Nah," he said. "Johnnycakes doesn't need babysitting."

Johnny glanced at me. He blushed. It was adorable!

"What about me?" I asked Two-Bit. He faced me.

"What about you?" he asked.

"You haven't even known me for an hour yet," I said. "How do you know I'll need to be babysat?"

"You're right, I don't," he said. "But I _will_ find that out later in the day."

"Good luck with that," I muttered and Johnny laughed. I was filled with joy.

"Okay, see ya guys later," Soda said heading for the door. Steve followed him.

"Bye, Munchkin," Steve whispered as he passed me. Darry smacked the back of his head. Then the door slammed shut.

"So," Two-Bit said. "What ever shall we do today?"

"Well, it's Sophie's second day in Tulsa," Pony said. "Why don't we show her around town?"

"Okay," Two-Bit agreed. He turned to me. "There are some things we can show Sophie here."

All four of us crammed through the door. It was a sunny day, with a little bit of wind. We started walking; Pony and Two-Bit were ahead, while Johnny and I lagged behind. I think he meant to. Johnny tapped my shoulder.

"Trust me," he whispered. "You're gonna love it here."

_Alright, _I decided. Maybe with Johnny here, life in Tulsa didn't have to suck. We walked side-by-side down the street.


	7. Chapter 7: Around Tulsa

**Hey guys! Great news! I got the internet back! Yay! And even greater news, I have two new chapters for you guys. That's right. Two! Double yay! I think I may be able to post chapter 8 by Friday or Saturday night. Anyways, I hope enjoy this new chapter. Stay gold, everyone!**

Soon we walked into town. I glanced around. Tulsa wasn't _anything _like Woodward. Here, everything seemed so exciting and new, while back in Woodward everything was so boring and plain and small. _Extremely_ small.

"You okay, Sophie?" Johnny suddenly asked.

He said my name for the first time! I looked his way. He was staring right at me.

I felt startled and stammered, "I'm-I'm fine." I felt like the world's biggest idiot.

"It's just . . . wow. It's so different here compared to Woodward!" I exclaimed.

"Sophie," Two-Bit said. "Before you know it, within a few weeks, Tulsa will seem like the most boring place on earth." I frowned.

"Gee, thanks Two-Bit," I said. "How very touching."

"Yeah really, Two-Bit," Ponyboy said elbowing Two-Bit in the gut. "Wait to get Sophie excited about her new home."

"It's the truth, I am sad to say," Two-Bit confessed. I snorted.

"Maybe to _you,_" I said poking his chest. "But not to me. This place will probably never be boring to me."

"If you say so," Two-Bit said.

We walked further down the street. The guys showed me all of the places where they like to hang out. First and foremost, The Dingo: A ratty, old, beat-up pub.

"We always hang out here, besides your cousin's house," Two-Bit told me. "The Dingo has drive-in movies at night. I think we may go see one with the girls tomorrow."

"Girls?" I asked excited. "What girls?"

"My girlfriend, Kathy," Two-Bit said. "And my little sister, Clare."

"Hey Two-Bit," Johnny said. "We should tell Steve to bring Evie along, too."

There were girls I could hang out with! Thank God, because I thought I would have to hang out with boys for the rest of my life! Not that I have a problem with hanging out with them, especially Johnny.

"There's lots of fun here at night," Two-Bit continued. "Gettin' loaded on beer—"

"What?!" I cried.

Two-Bit smirked.

"What's the matter, Sophie?" he asked. "Never gotten drunk before?"

Actually, no. I've never gotten drunk before, and I don't plan to now.

"No," I said firmly.

Two-Bit chuckled.

"Well then you're in for a real treat!" he said. "No one leaves The Dingo at night without getting drunk. Once, our friend Dally went out and egged the old place! He got sent to the slammer for that. And another time, Steve got so drunk he was doing flips and tricks off all the tables. He had the girls all over him! That's how he met Evie, actually . . ."

Two-Bit went on and on about all these guys he knew getting drunk at The Dingo. To be honest, it was really starting to freak me out. I think that's what he secretly wanted to do.

". . . The fuzz showed up, and everyone had to be escorted out of the place," Two-Bit was saying.

"Two-Bit," Johnny finally said. His gorgeous dark skin was now as white as paper.

"Will you shut up with the stories about all those guys getting drunk? It's really making me sick."

At first Two-Bit looked shocked. Then his expression went soft.

"Sorry Johnny," he said quietly. "Didn't mean to upset you."

Johnny turned to me.

"Sophie," he said. "Two-Bit's just messing with ya. None of that stuff happens at The Dingo at night. Not often, anyway."

I felt the blood drain from my face.

"I promise you none of that stuff will happen tomorrow night," he continued. "And people _do _leave The Dingo at night without getting drunk."

I think he was trying to make me feel better, but he wasn't really helping.

"Oh yeah?" Two-Bit kicked in. "How do you know?"

Johnny spun around on his heel. He looked Two-Bit in the eyes.

"Because _I _have been to The Dingo at night," he said sternly. "So has Ponyboy. And _we_ have never gotten drunk before, right Pony?"

Pony looked startled. Then he blinked and said, "Yup, that's right."

I could sense that something wasn't right here.

"Why don't you guys show me something else?" I suggested. "I'll be hanging out at The Dingo tomorrow, so I'll get to know more about it then."

"Good idea," Johnny said, his skin turning back to its normal color. "Let's go."

He started down the street. I looked nervously at Pony and Two-Bit.

"Guys," I said. "Is Johnny okay?"

They looked at each other with worried expressions.

"I'll tell you later," Pony said.

He gave me a little push to let me know to start walking. Johnny walked far ahead, while the three of us lagged behind. When we finally caught up to him on a corner, he was smoking a weed. We stopped at the DX to say hi to Soda and Steve. Soda was flirting with some girl, so we went around back to see Steve. He didn't tease me this time, probably because Darry whacked him this morning. The guys showed me the park by me and Pony's house and then Two-Bit and Pony's school. I couldn't believe that Two-Bit, who was _nineteen,_ was still a juniorin high school.I sat down on the steps.

"Do you like school?" Pony asked me. "'Cause if you do, you can come here with us."

I wouldn't say I "liked" school, but I did do very well. Back in Woodward, I was a straight A's student.

"Maybe I'll go to school in a few weeks," I said.

"Just don't try out for the cheer-squad," Two-Bit said. "Darry wouldn't be happy about that."

I wrinkled my nose.

"Cheer-squad?" I repeated. "Now why would I waste my time on that? You guys are looking at one of the state-final barrel racers! You think I'd want to be a crappy _cheerleader_?"

"Hey, some of them are nice," Pony said in defense. "Like Cherry Valance."

"And Cherry is also a _Soc, _Ponyboy," Two-Bit said. "Which is my point. Darry wouldn't want Sophie being a cheerleader because he wouldn't want her to become a Soc."

"Wait," I said. "There are _girl _Socs, too?"

All three boys looked at me as if I'd grown two heads.

"Yes," they all said at the same time. I felt like an idiot. Especially since Johnny was standing there.

"Well . . . do _they_ jump Greasers, too?" I asked.

"No," Pony said. "Mainly only the boy Socs do that."

"They just do stuff like paint their nails and wear make-up and all that s**t," Two-Bit said.

I nodded in reply. Two-Bit checked his watch.

"Hey guys," he said. "It's one o'clock already. You want to get some lunch? I'm starving."

"Yes," Johnny said. "We going to Dairy Queen?"

"Yeah," Two-Bit agreed. "Let's head over that way."

Two-Bit and Ponyboy started down the street. Johnny held out his hand.

"C'mon," he said. "I'll help you up."

I held out my hand and he grabbed my wrist. He pulled me up with great force that sent me knocking into him.

"Oof," I said into his jacket. Johnny laughed. He put his hands lightly on my shoulders and pulled me back.

"You okay?" He said looking down on me.

I nodded. His hands were still on my shoulders. Everything seemed to stop in that moment. We just stared at each other. This was a moment when we were supposed to kiss, but we didn't. We just met. Johnny took his hands off my shoulders. We both turned furiously red and looked away from each other.

"Let's go," I finally said.

We walked down the street in silence. Johnny stuck his hands in his jacket. I wrapped my arms tightly around my ribs. I knewI had to option to breathe, I just chose not to. Two-Bit and Ponyboy were waiting for us down the corner. We all walked together for a good 10-15 minutes before hitting DQ. It wasn't all that spiffy, but hey, DQ isn't spiffy in general anyways_. _We walked inside and placed our orders. I got a cheeseburger with a side of fries and a chocolate milk shake. We took our food and sat down at booth near the window. I sat next to Ponyboy and Two-Bit and Johnny were across from us. We were in the middle of chowing down our food when Johnny suddenly went pale again.

"Hey Johnnycakes?" Two-Bit said. "You okay?"

Johnny gulped and pointed. We all looked out the window. There, slowly driving around the parking lot, was a blue Mustang car. The car parked and five guys with way nicer cloths than ours got out. _Socs._

"Oh great," Pony muttered.

"Were those brownnosers following us around all day?" Two-Bit grumped.

"Should we leave?" I asked nervously.

"No way!" Two-Bit exclaimed. "I'm not backing down from a fight!"

"Just stay cool," Pony whispered to me.

I saw Johnny look at me out of the corner of my eye. I turned my head and met his gaze. Fear was written all over his face. But it also looked like he was aafraid for _me_. _I know you want to run, _his expression said. _I do too. But we both know we can't, so let's stay strong together. _I nodded at him, and somehow I knew he understood. The Socs approached the door. It opened and shut with a big _bang._ My stomach jumped as the Socs headed toward our table. We stood up.

"Well, well," one Soc said. "Lookie who we have here. It's our old friends, the Greasers."

"You'd better keep on walkin'," Two-Bit warned. "I have a blade in my pocket, and I'm not afraid to use it!"

"Hey, calm down, Greaser," the Soc said. "We just want to get to know you better."

"Who's this chick?" another Soc said eyeing me. I stood perfectly still. "Never seen her before."

"It's none of your business to know who she is," Pony said kicking in.

The Soc held his hands up.

"All I was gonna say was, she's a babe!"

The second I heard this, I turned bright red. My mood turned from afraid to angry in a flash. And boy, you don't want to be around me when I'm angry! Two-Bit was going to say something to the Soc, but I stepped in between the two of them. Now I was almost nose-to-nose with the Soc.

"Listen, bud," I warned. "You better shut your trap unless you want me to rearrange your face."

Two-Bit, Pony, and Johnny looked amused. But in a good way.

"You know what, Greasers?" The first Soc said. "I think it's time you know what _we _think of _you._"

I didn't like the sound of this one bit. One Soc went over to Johnny.

"You know what I think of _you?_" he asked Johnny.

Johnny turned even paler.

"I think," he continued. _"You _need a haircut."

Suddenly, all the Socs jumped up and tackled Johnny.

"Hey!" Two-Bit yelled. "Get away from him!"

One Soc put Johnny in a head lock, while another Soc grabbed a lock of his hair and held a blade to it. Two-Bit, Pony, and I were trying to pry the Socs off of Johnny.

"Let go of him you ass*****s!" I shouted.

I tried to get the Soc who had the blade on Johnny. I grabbed his arm.

"You little bitch!" he shouted. "Get the hell off!"

"Who's gonna make me?" I shouted back at him.

I wrestled the Soc. He and I fought over the blade. I was trying hard not to hurt Johnny, who was struggling to get away from the Socs. Finally, when I got the blade out of the Soc's hand, a whirl of shrines sounded outside.

"Crap!" one Soc cried. "It's the fuzz!"

"I'm gettin' out of this place!" another one yelled.

All the Socs got off of Johnny. They pushed me down, and I knocked into him _again_. We both fell down on the floor, with me on top of Johnny. The Socs ran out the door like the cowards they were. I looked at Johnny. He was definitely in shock.

"Johnny!" I cried. I threw my arms around him. Oh. My. God. I can't believe I did that! When I pulled back, he looked surprised. I was too. "Are you okay?"

"Yeah," Johnny croaked. He cleared his throat. "Sophie, thank you for defending me."

Then he hugged _me! _Oh my God! I big smile spread across my face. Of course, I tried to pretend we were two normal teenagers, and we were not on top of each other. On the floor of a public restaurant. With everyone staring at us, including Ponyboy and Two-Bit.

"Excuse me?" Someone said behind us.

I turned around. Johnny and I slowly looked up. Two police men stood before us.

"Care to explain what happened here?"

Johnny and I looked at each other nervously. This wouldn't end well.


	8. Chapter 8: Discovered!

The good news was, the police decided not to press charges. Two-Bit, Johnny, Pony, and I had to explain the entire situation about the Greaser-Soc indecent. After the police listened to our story, they interviewed some people in the restaurant who had witnessed our fight. They, too, told the police the exact same stories that we had. So they let us go. Hooray! The bad news? Darry winded up getting involved. After our encounter with the Socs, we went back to me and Pony's house. It was almost four o'clock then, so Darry was there when we walked through the door. So was Soda and Steve.

"Hey guys," Soda said. "What's going on?"

Two-Bit shrugged.

"Nothing much," he replied.

"Why are your faces all jacked?" Steve asked. Darry looked at all of us. Then he jumped up.

"Two-Bit," he said. "What the hell happened?"

Two-Bit told him the whole story about our fight with the Socs.

He finished with, "They interviewed some other people who had witnessed the fight, and when their stories were the same as ours, they let us go."

Two-Bit stopped to catch his breath.

"Sophie handled herself really well Darry," Two-Bit said. "You shouldn't have to worry about her needing to be protected. Just give her a blade and she'll be fine."

"I'm not talking about that now," Darry said sternly. "Anyway, what's important is that you guys are safe."

We were quiet for a few minutes. Then I broke the silence.

"You guys want to play Slap Jack?" I asked.

"Yeah!" cried Two-Bit. "Let's do it!"

The others answered with "okay" and "sure, why not?" We all sat down at the table. Ponyboy was on my left and Johnny was on my right. Across from us sat Two-Bit, Soda, then Steve. Darry was at the head of the table. I held the deck of cards in my hands. I passed out fourteen cards for everyone to start with.

"Alright," I said after I passed all the cards out. "Darry goes first. Then Johnny, then me, then Pony, then Two-Bit, then Soda and Steve."

"Let's play already!" Steve said.

Darry slapped his card down in the center of the table, and the rest of us followed in my order. We went around the table twice before Soda pulled out a Jack. Our hands slammed down, but Steve got the Jack.

"Ha ha," he said. "Come to papa!"

We kept playing. Every now and then, Johnny's hand would brush over mine by accident. I tried not to stare so much and focus more on my cards. But I was so happy I was sitting next to him. I resisted the erg to smile. I was finally able to pay attention after Soda lost all of his cards. I started to get really good at Slap Jack. I won most of the cards in this game, and I got Two-Bit, Steve, and Darry out. Now it was just me, Pony, and Johnny.

"Riv-al-ry!" I cried. Johnny laughed.

Everyone watched as Pony, Johnny, and I played a mad round of Slap Jack. After a few founds, Johnny got Pony out.

"Damn!" Pony muttered.

Now it was just me and Johnny.

"Oh, you're going _down," _I told Johnny.

The others hooted. Johnny smirked.

"Bring it!" he challenged.

We fiercely slapped cards down on the table, one after the other. When I laid a King down, Johnny hit it, thinking it was a Jack.

"Penalty!" the others called.

"You owe a card, son!" I said.

Johnny put a Joker in the pile. Now he only had two cards left. And what do you know? One of them was a Jack! I snatched the Jack out of Johnny's reach.

"Winner!" I cried as I threw my fist in the air. The others applauded. Johnny smiled at me.

"Good game," he said. "You have to teach me your mad Slap Jack skills sometime, Sophie!"

"Maybe I will," I said as my heart beat faster.

"Well, I gotta go," Two-Bit said getting up. "My mom said this morning that she needs me to watch Clare tonight while she runs some errands."

"I'll be off too," Steve said.

"See you guys tomorrow?" Soda asked.

"Yeah," Steve answered. "We're bringing the girls tomorrow so they can meet Sophie, remember?"

"Yeah," Pony agreed. "I'm sure Sophie's dying to make some girl friends."

_Yes._ I _was! _Two-Bit turned to me.

"Nice meeting you, Sophie," he said.

"You too," I called as he headed out the door. Steve followed him.

"Bye Sophie," he said.

Suddenly, it was very quit.

"I'd better be going too," Johnny spoke up.

"You're leaving already?" I started to say but I bit down my words.

"It was nice hanging out with you today," Johnny said to me. "I mean, so we could show you around town," he quickly added. He turned red.

"Thank you for showing me around," I said. _Stupid. _Johnny flashed me a smile.

"See ya tomorrow," Johnny said to me and my cousins.

He fast-walked to the door and in a moment he was gone. I could of sworn he dashed down the street after Two-Bit and Steve.

"Well that was weird," Soda said. "Johnny wasn't acting like himself."

"It must of been that Soc attack at DQ," Pony said. "Maybe it stunned him."

Darry went up to me and gave me a hug.

"I'm proud of you, Sophie," he said. "You handled yourself well around the Socs today."

"Thanks Darry," I said beaming. I yawned. "Well, I think I'll call it a day. Night guys."

I headed up the stairs to my room. I quickly changed into a pair of blue shorts and a red T-shirt. I put my hair up n a bun. Suddenly there was a knock on my door.

"It's open!" I called.

"Hey Sophie." Ponyboy stood in my doorway.

"Oh, hey Pony," I said. "You can come in."

Pony stepped in in the room and closed the door behind him.

"So," he said. "Did you have a fun day?"

"Yeah," I said. Then I remembered Two-Bit talking about The Dingo. How he was talking about all those guys getting drunk. How Johnny went pale . . .

"Pony?" I said. "I have a question. Why was Johnny upset when Two-Bit was talking about all of those guys getting drunk?"

"Well . . ." he began. "His parents . . . they're not all that nice to him."

"Meaning . . . ?" I said.

Pony sighed.

"His parents are alcoholics. They're always beating him. Well, mostly his dad. That's why he was upset when Two-Bit was talking about those guys getting drunk. His mom usually just ignores him, except for when she's hacking off at him. He also gets beaten by the Socs a lot. I don't blame him for being scared to death most of the time. He recently started carrying a blade around with him. Johnny's like our gang's pet. We all love him and he's like everyone's kid brother, especially Dallas'. If it weren't for us, he wouldn't know what love and affection was. No one ever fights with him because of his experiences at home. He can be shy, and he can keep his mouth shut good around the fuzz. But he's really smart and brave, too."

All of these things I was hearing about Johnny made me feel sad and worried about him. I mean, I've only know him for eight hours, but he didn't seem like the kind of guy to have everyone beat him! Especially by his _own_ parents! Sweet, innocent, Johnny!

"It's so awful how everyone beats him up like that," I said.

"Yeah," Pony agreed. He looked at me funny.

"Do you like Johnny, Sophie?" he asked.

I tried to control myself from blushing and play it cool. _He could be referring to him as a friend, you dummy, _I told myself. Hopefully.

"Sure I like him," I said.

"I mean, do you _like-_like him?" Pony asked. I was silent. Crap! How'd he know? What if the others knew, too?!

"Fine," I admitted. "I_ do_ _like-_like Johnny, Pony. You got me. Please don't tell anyone!"

"Don't worry," Pony told me. "I won't say a thing. But I think Two-Bit also knows."

"How?"

"You made it pretty obvious when you hugged him after that Soc attack at DQ."

I finally let it out and blushed. I was super embarrassed.

"He likes you, you know," Pony suddenly said. I smiled goofy.

"Pony, he does not," I said. He could someone as wonderful as Johnny like _me_?

"Yeah he does, Sophie," he insisted. "Didn't you see all those times he was blushing around you? And how happy he was today? He's usually as quiet as a mouse! And those times he laughed at your jokes? Those were the _only _times I've ever heard him laugh."

I blushed harder. The thought of Johnny liking me back was wonderful. But there was no way on God's green earth that it could be true.

"Maybe it's true," I said. "Maybe's it's not. We can't be sure, and I am certainly _not _asking him."

Pony scratched his head.

"Alright," he sighed. He went to the door. "Good night, Sophie. Sleep tight, and dream about Johnny, all through the night!"

"Shut up, Pony! Good night!" I cried chucking my pillow at him.

Pony quickly shut the door before the pillow hit him. I could hear him laughing like a maniac in the hall. My lips twitched, but I forced myself not to smile. I got up to retrieve my pillow then shut out the light. I thought about Johnny as I drifted off to sleep.


	9. Chapter 9: More Greaser Girls

I woke up early the next morning. I remembered what Two-Bit had told me yesterday; that we were going to see a movie with the girls tonight. _Girls!_ Yes! I didn't know that there were Greaser girls in the gang. I thought I was the only one. Thankfully, I was wrong! I was excited to meet the girls, but I was a little freaked out, too. What if they didn't like me? Then who would I hang out with? I hated it when I turned into super-worried-Sophie and thought of all the possibilities that could go wrong with something. I decided not to worry about it, since I had other things to think about. Like Johnny. I was dying to know if he liked me back. Hearing that he liked me coming from Ponyboy was definitely something I shouldn't believe. I wanted to find out for myself. He could just be saying to make me feel better for all I know. I decided not to worry about it so much, because I was hanging out with Johnny again today. Sqee!

I changed into my purple T-shirt with small white flowers imprinted in a flowing pattern across the front and a pair of jeans. I pulled on my matching purple converse shoes and marched down the hall. I combed through my hair and put it back in a ponytail with a purple scrunchy. Purple, purple, purple, I loved purple! I also wanted to show the girls that I fit in the gang (and _maybe _to show Johnny how hot I was). I headed downstairs to the kitchen. No one was up yet, so I decided to make breakfast. I was in the middle of beating eggs when I thought I heard the screen door open and silently close.

"Hello?" I called. "Is anyone there?" No response.

I went back to beating eggs. Suddenly, someone grabbed me from behind and lifted me up.

"MWAHAHA!"

I screamed and dropped the eggs on the floor. I spun around. There was Two-Bit and Steve, laughing their heads off.

"You guys!" I cried. "Look what you did! There goes breakfast!"

They laughed harder. I pretended to be irritated, but I secretly wanted to smile.

"Ha ha ha," I said sarcastically. "It's so fun to scare Sophie!"

"Hey y'all."

I turned and saw Johnny come through the door. He was wearing a brown T-shirt with a black sweatshirt tied around his waist and a pair of ripped-up jeans.

"Hi Johnny," I said shyly.

He saw me and smiled. He came over to me. Then he noticed Two-Bit and Steve.

"What's up with them?" he said jerking his chin in their direction.

"Oh," I said. "Tweedledee and Tweedledumass over there tried to scare the beJesus out of me." Johnny burst into laughter.

"Man, Sophie," he said. "You're one funny girl." My heart soared.

"Nice shirt, by the way," he complemented. He noticed! _Score!_

"Why, thank you," I said and we both smiled at each other.

I heard footsteps and Darry came running down the stairs followed by Soda and Ponyboy.

"What happened?" Darry exclaimed. "We heard Sophie scream."

I glanced at Two-Bit and Steve.

"Care to explain?" I asked them.

"Well . . . um . . ." Two-Bit began. "Steve and I may of scared Sophie just a _tiny_ bit."

"A _tiny_ bit?" I repeated. "Dude, I thought I was gonna_ die!"_

"It wasn't that bad," Steve told Darry.

"Yes it was!" I retorted.

"Okay," Darry said. "Guys, please don't scare Sophie again."

"Yeah," I agreed.

"Geez," Soda said to me. "I thought someone attacked you, Sophie!"

Darry and Soda soon got ready for work. Pony sat down at the table and continued reading his book. Two-Bit and Steve were hypnotized by Mickey Mouse on TV. _Doesn't anyone in this house watch anything besides Mickey Mouse?_ I wondered. Johnny and I stood around. Suddenly some random girl came through the door. She went over to the coach and threw her arms around Steve.

"Hey babe," she said.

She reached down and kissed him—smack!—on the lips! I was a little stunned.

"Hey Evie," Steve said as the girl rubbed his neck.

Then two more girls burst through the door. One of them marched over to the TV.

"Two-Bit Mathews!" she exclaimed. "You need to stop being so lazy for a change and get off your bum!"

She went over to the TV and shut it off.

"Hey!" Two-Bit complained. "I was watching that!"

"I know," she said. "That's why I turned it off."

Two-Bit turned to Steve.

"Here's my little sister, telling me what to do," he said.

Steve looked annoyed that Two-Bit had stopped his making out session with the first girl.

"My typical Two-Bit," the girl closest to me said.

"Oh guys, have you met Sophie yet?" Two-Bit asked.

All three girls stopped what they were doing and looked at me. I felt solid.

"No," the girl closest to me said. "We have not."

As if it were a command, they all approached me at the same time.

"Hi," the one of them said. "I'm Kathy. Nice to meet you!"

Kathy had blond hair and blue eyes. She looked around eighteen. She was wearing a cute plaid blue tank top and a denim skirt that fell to her knees.

"Hello," I said shyly.

The girl who had been with Steve introduced herself too. Her name was Evie and she was also eighteen. She had short light brown hair and green eyes. She was wearing a forest green shirt and jeans. I turned to the last girl. She had rusty-red wavy hair and blue eyes the same as Two-Bit. She was wearing a baggy gray sweatshirt and pants.

"We're you?" I asked.

"You'll have to guess," she said in a sneaky way.

I thought I remembered Two-Bit saying something about his little sister yesterday. Her name started with a C.

"You're name starts with a C, right?" I double checked. She snapped her fingers.

"Yes!" she said.

"Um . . . is it Cassie?"

"Nope."

"Carter?"

"Na uh."

"Chelsea?"

"Wrong again!"

Kathy rolled her eyes.

"That's _Clare _for ya!" she blurted.

_"Kathy!"_ Clare yelled. She playfully but angrily punched her shoulder. _"Why _would you tell her that?!"

Kathy laughed like crazy and Evie and I giggled. When Clare stopped throwing punches at Kathy, she turned to me.

"Yes, my name is Clare," she said. "I am sixteen-years-old. I am also Two-bit's younger sister. I have rusty-red wavy hair and blue eyes. I—"

"Whoa," I said stopping her. "I clearly don't need a description of your looks, because you're standing right in front of me."

"Better get a good look at me then, babe," she joked.

I burst into laughter. I was disgusted yet peeing my pants.

"Ew!" I cried. _"No _thanks!"

All of the girls laughed. So did the guys.

"See?" Evie said. "We're good friends already."

Kathy, Evie, Clare and I smiled at each other. Darry and Soda came down the stairs in their work cloths. They stopped when they saw everyone.

"Hey guys," Darry greeted. Soda looked our way.

"Kathy, Evie, Clare," he said.

Kathy and Evie nodded at him. Clare gave him a small wave and blushed. ~OoO~

"Steve you coming?" Soda asked.

Steve groaned and sat up.

"No!" Evie begged him. "Don't leave me alone all day with Two-Bit!"

Two-Bit gave her a look.

"Hello?" he said. "Right here?"

"Don't worry," Steve said to Evie. "Ponyboy and Johnny are there. And so is Kathy and Evie and Shrimp—I mean, Sophie."

I gave Steve a look.

"Never heard that one before," I said.

Steve chuckled and hugged Evie good-bye. Seeing them being all lovey-doovey together made me want to know if Johnny liked me even more. Soda, Darry, and Steve walked out the door and drove off.

"C'mon guys," Two-Bit said. "We got the whole day ahead of us, so let's not waste it."

We made our way outside.

"Sure is a beautiful day," Pony said. "Race you guys!"

He took running down the street.

"Hey!" Two-Bit cried

Two-Bit and Johnny running after him. We girls just laughed.

"Boys," Kathy groaned.

We slowly strolled down the street.

**So guys, what did you think? Like it? Love it? Comments? Questions? Ideas? Just review! I'm getting an idea for the movie they go to see later on in the night and Johnny holds Sophie's hand. What do you guys think about it? I know they just met and all, but there are other books like that too. Just read the fanfic _Gunshot Burns. _I'm trying to score at least fifteen or twenty reviews for chapter 9 before chapter 10 is posted, so please help me out! Stay gold, everyone!**


	10. Chapter 10: The Movies

**Hey guys! This is a very special chapter for all kinds of reasons, first because I finally reached double digits! Thank you to the people who _did _review for this chapter, although I didn't get a lot :( If it weren't for my friends, this chapter would of probably never been posted. ****So let's try to do a little better next time, okay guys? Reviews mean the world to me. **I would also like to thank the girls who PM-ed me about chapter 10. Wait, what was the big opinion I asked you guys about again? Oh, that's right! Do you think Johnny should hold Sophie's hand, yes or no? You'll have to read to find out! 

Before I knew it, nighttime fell and we headed for the drive-in, _not _The Dingo. _The Apartment _was starting at six and we got there a few minutes early to get snacks and drinks. Kathy, Evie, Clare, and I were goofing off and hadn't noticed that two Soc girls were staring at us.

"Ponyboy!" one of them called waving. Both girls hurried over.

Pony looked confused at first, but then he seemed to recognize who they were.

"Hey Cherry," he said. "How'er you doing?"

"Fine, thanks," the red-head replied. She looked past Ponyboy.

"Hey Two-Bit. Hey Johnny," the she said.

Two-Bit smiled and Johnny gave her a nod. The red-head glanced over at us.

"Are you girls with these gentlemen?" she asked us.

"They're _no where_ near gentlemen," Kathy joked. "But it's fair to say that we are with them."

The two girls chuckled. Kathy, Evie, and Clare introduced themselves and then me.

"This is Sophie," Kathy said pushing me toward her. "She's new in town."

"Well, nice to meet you Sophie," the red-head said to me.

She smiled sweetly. I didn't know if I should of trusted her; I was still new to this whole Greaser-Soc thing. But if the guys were being all friendly to them, I think I would be okay. The other girl with brown hair introduced herself. Her name was Marcia.

"Where were you originally from?" Marcia asked me.

"Woodward," I answered.

"Why did you move to Tulsa?"

I looked down at the ground. I had a hard time getting the words out.

"M-my pa . . . he, um . . ." I stalled.

I was trying very hard not to cry. Especially in front of Johnny. Pony came over to us.

"My uncle, who was Sophie's father, was shot," he blurted. "Sophie didn't have anyone to take care of her in Woodward, so she moved to Tulsa to live with us."

I took a deep breath to calm myself down and to stop me from bawling right then and there.

"Yeah," I whispered.

A lump formed in my throat and I couldn't swallow it. Pony put his arm around me in comfort. But that only made me feel worse. Cherry stared at me, her expression blank. Marcia opened her mouth to say something, then closed it.

"I'm so sorry to hear that," she said softly. I looked up at her and smiled weakly.

"It's okay," I whispered.

"So, guys . . . the, uh, movie starts in a few minutes. Why don't we go to the concession stand?" Two-Bit said changing the subject.

I was grateful that he said that. We all agreed and headed over to the concession stand. There was a l-o-n-g line. Just great. I quietly stood next to Johnny. He was so close to me; I felt like he might make a move. But I knew it was all in my head. I didn't know what to do about it.

_Stop it, _I kept telling myself. _Just because you like him, doesn't mean he likes you. _

It was hurtful to think about, but a small part of me had hope. I knew we just met and all, but I felt like I was close to Johnny. The only guy I ever really liked was Brain, a football player at my old school. But he was dating some prissy cheerleader named Jamie, and now that I think about it, he did use to ignore me all the time. Not Johnny, thought. Johnny was kind and smart and sensitive, and_ he _paid attention to me.

"So, Sophie," Kathy said interrupting my thoughts. "Who were your friends back in Woodward?"

"I only had one," I admitted. "Her name was Brook."

"How could _you _only have one friend?" Evie said. "You're awesome!"

"Well . . ." I said blushing. "You do make a good point, there." We laughed.

"When will we meet this fabulous Brook?" Clare asked. I shrugged.

"She said she would come visit me three weeks after I've been settled in," I said. "Her folks said it was okay, so I just need to get Darry to agree."

"That won't be easy," Pony muttered under his breath. I looked past the girls at him.

"You know I can hear you, right?" I said as the girls _and _Johnny laughed. Pony rolled his eyes at me.

"Yes, I do," he said. "I'm just saying that Darry's really strict."

"Pony, please," I said. "How could he say no to _me?" _

The girls giggled. I saw Johnny blush. Pony snorted and I nudged him. We finally got our turn at the stand. We bought our snacks and drinks and went off. We found a row of seats that were unattended. Evie went in first, then Kathy, Two-Bit, Marcia, Cherry, Pony, Clare, me, and Johnny. I wonder if he had planned to sit next to me like I had planned to sit next to him.

"I hear this movie's supposed to be good," Johnny whispered to me. I nodded excited.

"Me too," I said.

Then, because I couldn't think of anything else to do, I held up my Kit-Kat bar that was half broken.

"What some?" I offered.

"Hey, thanks," Johnny said. "I love Kit-Kats."

He put his hand on mine so he could break off a piece. I turned away and blushed. Good thing it was dark.

"What do you think is better?" I asked him as he munched on his Kit-Kat bar. "Hershey's or Kit-Kats?"

"You're making me choose?" he asked. "Noo!"

I giggled and he smiled.

"Seriously, though," I said.

"Probably Hershey's," Johnny said. "I don't get something, though."

"What?" I asked.

"Well, you know whenever they have a cermercial for Hershey's chocolate bars on TV?"

"What about them?"

"They're always showing these families going camping or at a bomb fire on the beach or whatever, and they're getting so excited over _chocolate."_

"Oh my God!" I squealed. "I have always been thinking the same thing! I mean, it's _chocolate. _There's other things in life to get excited about besides _chocolate!" _

"That's my point!" Johnny said.

For the next few minutes, Johnny and I discussed Hershey's chocolate. Then the conversation went to how high the script writers for the Hershey's chocolate cermercials must be.

"Guys," Clare whispered to us. "The movie's starting."

We got quiet and the movie started. I began to relax and focus more on Johnny than the movie. Sometimes when he reached for his popcorn bucket, he would touch my hand instead.

"Oh, sorry Sophie," he'd say embarrassed and then go right back to the movie. I had the feeling he was onto something.

I decided to watch a little bit of the movie. Jack Lemmon was great at the role of C.C. Baxter. He was hysterical! I do agree it's a good idea to try and rise your company, but by letting them use his very own apartment for trysts? That's something I would not do; probably because I don't have a company or an apartment.

Just before C.C. Baxter and Fran Kubelik were about to kiss, Johnny let out a yelp. He whipped around.

"Hey Greaser," A Soc greeted.

He had a cup of Coke in one hand and an ice cube in the other. Johnny reached out and tried to grab him, but the Soc dodged and ran off.

"Great," Johnny muttered.

"Here," I said handing him a Kleenex.

"Could you do it? I don't think I'll be able to reach all the way down my back."

Johnny leaned forward and I got to work. I moped up his back the best I could. When I was finished, I threw the wet Kleenex onto the ground without a care in the world. I whipped my wet hands on my jeans.

"Not fun, huh?" Johnny said laughing. I smiled. I couldn't help it; he was just so cute.

Johnny slouched low in his seat. I could tell he was sucked deep into the movie. I looked down at my hand. I looked at Johnny's hand, which was a little close to mine. I moved my hand. Johnny sat up straight again, and I snapped my attention back to the movie. I hope he didn't notice me staring. I looked at him out of the corner of my eye. He shifted, and I suddenly felt a feathery warmth on my fingers. Him. His skin. I looked down again. Our hands were next to each other on the arm rests, pinkies touching. Did he know that? Did he feel the energy sparking between us, like I did? Excitement rose up. I edged my hand closer. Then his hand slid over mine and closed around it, just like that. I couldn't breath. Holy crap, Johnny was holding my hand! Johnny was holding my hand?! I slowly looked up at him. He was smiling at me. I smiled back at him. I was so happy, I thought I would burst and flying confetti would be left in my place.

We held on for the rest of the movie. As soon as it was over, he let go of my hand. I was light-headed. We all got up and walked toward the exit.

"So what's the plan, Pony?" Johnny asked. "We heading back t your place?" Pony shrugged.

"Yeah, I guess," he said. Clare grabbed my wrist.

"Actually," she said. "Kathy, Evie, Sophie and I have something important to do first."

"We do?" I asked confused.

"Yes," Clare said. "So we'll catch up with you guys in an hour or so." The guys agreed.

"In the meantime, we'll walk Cherry and Marcia home," Two-Bit said.

"Oh, you don't have to do that—" Cherry began but Two-Bit cut her off.

"C'mon, we insist," he said. Cherry sighed.

"Great," Clare said before she could answer.

She dragged me over to Cherry and Marcia.

"It was so nice seeing you girls again," Clare said politely.

"Same for you, Clare," Cherry said.

"Nice meeting you, Sophie," Marcia said.

"You too," I said.

"See you later," Clare said to everyone. I smiled shyly at Johnny.

"Bye," I said softly.

"Bye," he whispered.

Clare walked out of the drive-in, taking me with her. Kathy and Evie were right at our heels.

"Whoa, whoa," I said. "Where are we going?"

"The Dingo," Clare answered. "We have some business to take care of."

I didn't like the sound of that at all.

**That's chapter 10, guys! So . . . what did you think? I'd love to hear your answers so review please! Stay gold, everyone!**


	11. Chapter 11: Boy Talk

We arrived at The Dingo in no time. Clare burst through the door with me in tow. Kathy and Evie followed on our heels. Noises were all around us; music, laughter, bottles clanking.

"You guys," I begged. "Will you please tell me why we're here?"

"You'll see soon," Clare said.

A waitress with wavy blond hair came over to us.

"How many?" she asked.

"Four," Clare responded.

"Alright, follow me."

She lead us to a booth right by the bar. We sat down, me and Clare on one side and Kathy and Evie on the other. The waitress handed us menus and left. I stared at Clare, Evie, and Kathy.

"Okay," I said. "What's going on with you guys?"

"What's going on with _us?" _Clare repeated. "What's going on with _you and Johnny? _I saw him hold your hand!"

_Aw crap! She noticed!_

"Are you guys dating or something?" Clare asked.

I blushed hard.

"No, we're not dating," I mumbled.

"Then what's going on?" Clare demanded. I huffed.

"I don't know," I confessed. "Johnny was there, I moved my hand close to his, and he grabbed it."

"Omigosh!" Kathy squealed. "You and Johnny are in love!"

I couldn't help but smile.

"C'mon Kathy," I said. "We've only known each other for two days."

"But you guys like each other!"

"Yeah, okay."

"You're embarrassed!" Evie kicked in. "That's adorable!"

"Sooo," Kathy said stretching out the word. "When did you start to like Johnny?"

"Ever since yesterday, starting from when he walked through the door. Then I got to know a little more about him throughout the day. He's a really sweet boy. Smart, caring, sensitive . . . " My voice trialed off, because I remembered Ponyboy tell me that Johnny's parents beat him.

"But do his parents really beat him?" I asked.

All three girls nodded sadly. My heart sank.

"It's a right offal thing, Sophie," Evie agreed. "But the gang is Johnny's true family. He's in good hands, don't you worry."

I appreciated Evie trying to make me feel better. But I I wanted them to drop the conversation. Right now.

"Hey," I said suddenly remembering something very hilarious and cute at the same time. "What do you think of the other guys in the gang—you know, besides Steve and Two-Bit. _And _Johnny?"

"I think you've got me stuck there," Kathy said chuckling.

"What about Soda?" I asked looking strait at Clare. "Being his cousin, I say he's okay. What do y'all think?"

Clare traced the pattern on the table with her finger. Kathy saw exactly what I was getting at. She smirked.

"Yeah," Kathy agreed. "Any girl that dates him is probably the luckiest girl on earth."

"It's too bad he's single now," Evie jumped in.

Clare finally spoke up.

"You guys must think I'm an idiot, right?" she said. "I know exactly what's going on, and I would appreciate it if you would stop teasing me about Soda."

"Ooh!" I said. "Clare likes Soda! Clare likes Soda!"

"Shut up!" she snapped.

"It's cute!" I exclaimed. "There's no reason to be ashamed. It's not a crime to have a crush."

"I know," she said. "Now shut _up_."

"When did you start liking him?" I pressed. Clare rolled her eyes.

"After his rotten ex-girlfriend, Sandy, moved to Florida because she got pregnant with someone's else's guy."

"I'm sorry—WHAT?" I was shocked.

Clare nodded like, _Yeah, I_ know.

"Sandy was f**king with other guys?!" I practically yelled.

A few people stared over at us. I blushed.

"Apparently so," Evie said.

"How long ago was this?" I asked.

"About a year," Kathy said.

I rubbed my forehead.

"Geez," I muttered.

"Maybe I'll profess my love for Soda," Clare suddenly said. I looked up at her.

"You will?_" _I asked. She shrugged.

"Omigosh, when?" Kathy exclaimed.

"Someday," Clare said.

"Well, whenever it is, I totally support you," I said. Clare smiled.

We didn't stay much longer after that, I think only ten or fifteen more minutes. When the waitress came back, none of us were really that hungry, so we all got Cokes. Then Kathy paid for the bill and we headed back to my house. The whole walk home the girls kept teasing me.

"Are you nervous about seeing him?" Evie asked.

"No, I'm not," I said walking faster.

The girls struggled to keep up with me.

"What are you going to say to him?" Kathy asked. I stopped walking.

"How about this: 'Hey, hot stuff.'"

The girls burst out laughing. I smiled.

"You'd say that to little Johnny?" Clare asked.

I slung my arm around her neck.

"Someday," I replied.

By then we walked up the street to my house. Thank God, because I didn't know if I could bare anymore teasing. Before I opened the gate, Clare stopped me.

"What? What is it?" I asked.

"Remember, when you approach Johnny, shoulders back, stomach in," she said.

"I think I'll approach him normally," I told her.

We all laughed and went inside.


	12. Chapter 12: Brook's Letter

When we walked inside the boys were crowded around the TV watching Mickey Mouse, laughing their heads off. Darry, Soda, and Steve were there too because they got out of work hours ago.

"Hey giirls," Two-Bit said.

He was obviously drunk. You could tell not just by the beer bottle in his hand, but also how blurry eyed and woozy he was. He couldn't even sit up straight on the couch. Kathy sighed and went over to help him. Clare shook her head in disappointment.

"It's too late for me to be an only child," she whispered to me.

I knew she was joking around, but part of her was being serious, too. I think that maybe, just _maybe, _she was embarrassed for Two-Bit. I would never know how she felt. I never had any older or younger siblings. I sometimes wondered if I considered myself lucky to be an only child. I was never bothered, I could do whatever I wanted, I got plenty of attention. But there were times when I was lonely, too. Sure, a girl does have plenty to do living on a horse ranch, but what would she do with her spare time?

"How was the movies, Sophie?" Soda asked.

I glanced at Johnny. He kept his gaze focused on the TV. But I saw him secretly smile to himself.

"It was fun," I said bringing my attention back to Soda. "We hung out with some very nice Soc girls. Their names were Cherry and . . . Marcia?"

"I had a hunch you might of seen them there."

"Did they ditch their boyfriends again cause' they were gettin' loaded?" Steve asked from the chair. Evie had crawled up onto his lap.

"You betcha," Two-Bit said.

He lay his head down on one of the couch cushions. Kathy pat his arm.

"Oh Sophie, you got a letter by the way," Darry informed me.

He held up his hand. Sure enough, it had a letter in it.

"Really?" I exclaimed. I dashed over to him. "From who?"

He shrugged and handed the letter to me. I tore the front open and a piece of paper floated to the ground. I picked it up quickly and read it.

_Dear Sophie_,

_Hey there!_ _Remember me, your best friend, Brook? I miss you with all my heart! I know it's only been a couple of days, but things have really changed around here since you left. Some guys from the town are trying to sell your house and barn. The border owners are going crazy trying to find your herd. School's been a drag, as usual. I think I'm going to see if I can sign up for some after-school clubs and actually, you know, try and make some friends. But you know me. So how's Tulsa? Is it any different from Woodward? How's your cousin's place? Did you make any friends yet? Gosh, I just need to know! Also, do you think you'll be able to give me your new address and phone number? My parents are planning to make arrangements for me to come down and visit in two weeks! Ahh! I can't wait to see you again! Okay, well, I love ya, I'm thinking about ya, and I miss ya! Write back soon, please!_

_Your best friend,_

_Brook Wheeler_

Brook had sent me a letter! I looked up from the letter to reveal everyone staring at me.

"Everything okay, Sophie?" Darry asked. "Who's that letter from?"

"M-my best friend," I stammered. "Darry, do you think she'll be able to come down and visit? Say in about, two weeks?"

"As long as it's okay with her folks," he replied.

"Okay, I'll need to mail her our address, then."

"Do you know it?"

"30 East Road, Tulsa, Oklahoma. 74137."

"You're all set."

"But what's our phone number?"

"901-7534."

I scribbled the information on the back of Brook's letter.

"I'm just going to reply to this," I announced. "Be right back."

I headed upstairs to my bedroom. I shut the door and locked it. I was so excited to tell Brook all about Tulsa. I sat down at my desk and turned the light on. I grabbed a fresh sheet of paper and a pen. I sat there for a moment, thinking about what I should start with. Then it hit me. I began writing my letter.

_Dear Brook,_

_Of course I remember you, ya big doof! Just kidding! I can't believe how much has changed at home. It's only been two days, and they're already looking to sell my house and barn. That's just so disappointing to me. And look at you, signing up for after-school clubs to make new friends. I never would of guessed you'd attempt to do such a thing. Wait to go, Brookie! Tulsa is _very _different from Woodward. It's like, there's nothing to see in Woodward, but in Tulsa? There's everything! I do have to admit, I am a little freaked out by how many pubs and bars there are here. But you won't see me getting near a beer bottle, thank you. Apparently, now I am a "Greaser". Don't ask me, I didn't come up with it. All I know is there are these snobby rich kids called "Socs" I have to watch out for. They like to jump "Greasers" like me and my cousins. Oh, and I did get jumped once already! Speaking of my cousins, they're doing fine. They're still the same why they were six years ago. It turns out my Uncle Darrel and Aunt Pearl died, sadly. They were in a car crash about a year ago, so now my oldest cousin, Darry, is taking care of me and Ponyboy and Soda. My cousins' friends are . . . um, let's go with unique. There's Steve Randle, who I've already met and known for about my whole life so far. Two-Bit Mathews is interesting. First off, his real name is Keith, but I've learned that if I call him that he'll skin me alive. He's a wise-cracker, black-switch blade owner, Mickey Mouse lover, fighter, and can get drunk often. Like he is downstairs now. The last guy, Johnnycakes—I mean Johnny _Cade _. . . Oh man, Brook. I have seriously fallen for this guy! He's super sweet and kind and nice and sensitive. He's everything I ever wanted. And guess what? He likes me back!_ Me! _He held my hand at the drive-in tonight! I have no idea what to do about it. What do you think? For now, I'm just going to keep it cool. There's also another guy, but I don't know his name. All I know is that he's in jail for until you come to visit. So yeah . . . really looking forward to meeting him. Oh and I have made some friends here, too. Kathy, Evie, and Clare. Three friends in one day, impressive, huh? You'll always be my bestest friend ever, Brook. Heck, you're like a sister to me. I want you to always remember that. By the way, why do you need my new address? You wouldn't of been able to send me your letter in the first place. Whatever, I'll just give it to you again. It's 30 East Road, Tulsa, Oklahoma, _obviously, _74137. And my phone number is 901-7534. Don't lose it. I miss you so soo much. Write back soon, please!_

_Your sister,_

_Sophie_ _Curtis_


	13. Chapter 13: I Got Lots of Mail

For the next few days, I got nonstop mail from Brook. She wanted to know all about Tulsa.

_Dear Sophie,_

_I'm glad to hear everything's working out! Well, except for the part about getting jumped by those "Socs", whatever _they_ are, and your aunt and uncle's death. I can't imagine how you must feel. Your aunt, uncle,_ and _pa_ _are now all dead. It's just been awful. Anyways, enough of the gloom and doom. O M G! I can't believe you have a crush, Sophie! That's so adorable! I can't believe_ he _likes _you _back! It's only been, like, what? Four days, now? That's got to be some kind of record. I say what you should do is continue to "play it cool", as you called it. You guys should stay friends for at least a week, get to know each other a little better. But if this "Johnny", pulls any moves on you, I say go for it! Take your shot! I hope this advice brings you luck._

_Your girl,_

_Brook _

I was enlightened by Brook's reply. When she gave advice about something—and I mean _anything_—she was hysterical about it to brighten the mood, but also very serious about the subject and determined to make it work. I knew she was right, though—Johnny and I _had _just met, and we needed to get to know each other a little better before we could even think about, I don't know . . . _dating, _or something like that. I blushed just thinking about it. Me and Johnny . . . dating.

I read the letter over again. Then I stopped at the part were it said, _I can't imagine how you must feel. Your aunt, uncle, and pa are now all dead. It's just been awful. _My throat closed. Surely Brook didn't mean to make me feel bad when she said that. Of course not. But I didn't like being reminded that Pa was . . . dead. I was having a hard time believing it. I didn't want to believe it, that's why I never talked about it that much.

Tears stung my eyes. This time I didn't hold back. I lay down on my bed and loud sobs began to break out. I sobbed into my pillow.

It wasn't fair, I'd never done anything to deserve this. In that moment I felt like I had nothing. No one to care for me, no one to be with me. But I knew it wasn't true. My cousins were always there. And so were their friends. I had a roof over my head, I had food, we had money. Most important, I had a loving family.

I needed to start remembering that, too. I knew I was acting like a baby lately, and there _were_ kids who had it more bad than me. I think I was still a little in shock.

Once I calmed down enough, I decided to reply to Brook's letter.

_Dear Brook,_

_I was just thinking about your advice that you gave me . . . you know, about . . . Johnny. And you are absolutely right. We have know each other for only four days. We should get to know each other a little better. My cousins have already told me a lot about him. Oh! Speaking of which, I forgot to mention this in my last letter: Johnny's parents_ beat _him. Isn't that horrible?! It's almost as horrible as my pa's death. So maybe he should get to know _me _better, since I already know about a little about him._

I stopped writing, trying to think of what to say next. I had learned just a few days ago that Soda didn't own his horse, Mickey Mouse, anymore because he was sent away. Soda said he'd take me down to his old barn in a few weeks to see if I could get a job as a stable hand there.

I decided to write about it.

_Hey, I just thought of something. Do you remember that day I was talking about my cousin Soda's horse, Mickey Mouse? Well, Soda doesn't own Mickey anymore, because he was sent away somewhere else. I don't know exactly where, my cousins never told me. Soda said he would take me to his old barn in a few weeks. He said he would try and get me a job as a stable hand. Maybe I could get riding lessons in exchange for my work. Even though I don't have Tilly anymore, that doesn't mean I should give up horses all together, right? I know I will always love them, no matter what. But something got me thinking . . . do you think . . . that it could be possible . . . to see Tilly again? I know it's a stupid thought, but . . . could there be a chance? I just miss her so much, and I hope she's okay._

Suddenly there was banging on my door.

"Sophie, open up, it's Darry."

I put my pen down and went to the door. I opened it to reveal Darry standing in the hallway. I looked up at him.

"Hey Dar," I said casually. "What's up?"

"Are you ever gonna come out of your shell? You've been in here writing letters for the past few days," he said. I shrugged.

"Just trying to catch up on the update back at home," I said. He sighed.

"Do you think you can take a break? The gang's outside waiting for us."

I now realized that he wasn't in a great mood. I wonder what happened _this _time.

"Sure," I agreed. "Just let me get my stuff."

He nodded and walked down the hall. I closed the door and went back to my desk to finish up my letter.

_Sorry Brook, but I must end this letter. My cousin Darry wants me to get out of the house. I'm going to hang out with the gang. So I'll have a chance to try your advice. Write back soon, as usual. I miss you so much!_

_The one and only,_

_Sophie Curtis_

I folded up my letter and walked to my closet. I grabbed my sweatshirt and shoes I headed downstairs.

I sat on the coach and pulled my shoes on.

"C'mon, Sophie, hurry up!" Soda yelled from the porch.

I rolled my eyes and slipped my sweatshirt on. Then I headed out the screen door and joined the gang outside.


	14. Chapter 14: Party at The Dingo?

**Hey guys, Jess here! I just wanted to let you know that I'm really enjoying writing for you guys. It's such a huge opportunity to practice my writing skills. What do you guys think of them? Remember to R&R! Also if you want to read an awesome Sodapop love story check out _Hopeful Love _by outsiderlover9100, a.k.a Delia, one of my best friends. Luv ya, D! And because of all her hard work on her first fanfic, I've decided to dedicate this chapter to her. I hope you enjoy chapter 14! **

_**Disclaimer: **_**I don't own _The Outsiders_! Just Sophie and Brook. Everyone else belongs to S.E. Hinton. She's so lucky and I thank her for creating Johnny and the other Greasers! **

I winded up surviving my first week in Tulsa. I still didn't get to spend any alone time with Johnny, though. We were always with the gang and we never got a second to ourselves. Then came the weekend. On Saturday morning I was hanging out with the girls at the park.

"So you guys going to the party at The Dingo tonight?" Kathy asked.

"Totally," Clare said. "I wouldn't miss it for the world."

"Steve and I will be there," Evie said.

"So will Two-Bit and I," Kathy said to her.

"Hang on," I said. The three of them regarded me. "There's a party at The Dingo tonight?"

"Almost every Saturday," Kathy said.

"It's tons of fun," Clare added.

"Are you gonna be there?" Evie asked me.

I eyed them suspiciously.

"What happens at these parties?" I asked.

"Nothing huge," Evie replied.

"We just go there to hang out and listen to music," Clare said.

"Oh," I said. "Well that doesn't seem so bad."

"It's not, don't worry," Kathy said.

"So you guys are going, and so are Two-Bit and Steve. Who else? Are my cousins?"

"Probably," Clare said.

"Um . . . is Johnny?"

I still felt weird talking to them about him. Kathy shook her head.

"I don't think so," she said. "He usually doesn't come to the parties at The Dingo." My hope feel.

"Why?"

"No one knows," Evie said.

A crazy idea came blooming into my brain. What if they were lying to me; that people really did get drunk and go crazy? Maybe that's why Johnny wasn't going.

"So all we're going to do is hang out and listen to music?" I said to be clear.

All three of them nodded.

"And no one there gets drunk?"

They stopped nodding. It was suddenly very quite except for the train horn sounding in the distance.

"You guys," I said finally breaking the silence. "I can't believe you tried to trick me like that."

"Sophie, I speak for all of us when I say this, we promise you, it doesn't happen _that_ often," Kathy said quickly. "We're sorry we tried to trick you, but we just really want you to come with us. So please say you'll go. Please?"

They gave me pleading looks.

"Oh, fine," I huffed.

"Yay!" The three of them cheered and hugged me.

When I got home later on, the house was full of commotion.

"Hey Sophie," Soda said when I walked in. He and Steve were arm wrestling. "Where ya been?"

"Um, I was hanging out with the girls," I said. "Where's Darry?"

"Upstairs shaving," Soda answered. He was in a struggle to bring Steve's hand down.

"So . . . are you guys going to The Dingo tonight?" I asked.

"Oh, hell yes!" Steve cried. He brought Soda's arm down. It hit the table with a _thwack._

"Yeeah!" Steve cried raising his fist in victory. He got up and started dancing around the table.

"Oh yeah, uh-huh, I kicked your _booty!_" he sang. Those were brilliant lyrics.

"Just getting your confidence up," Soda retorted. He smacked the back of Steve's head. He turned to me.

"I'll be at The Dingo tonight, too," he said.

"Same for me!" Two-Bit called from the living room.

He was sitting on the couch with a beer and a piece of chocolate cake and, as usual, watching Mickey. Ponyboy sat next to him. Suddenly Darry tore down the stairs looking pissed. His face was wet and his cheek was bleeding.

"Darry what happened to you?" Pony asked. "Cut yourself shaving?"

Darry ignored his question and walked into the kitchen. He started frantically searching through the drawers.

"Where do we keep the damn band aids?" he muttered. I approached him.

"Darry—" I started.

"What is it Sophie? I gotta kind a band aid!" He kept shuffling through drawers. I frowned.

"Darry, stop it," I ordered. He looked amused.

"Look, let me get you cleaned up," I offered. Darry chuckled.

"Soph, you don't need to do—"

"But I _want _to."

Darry held up his hands, palms out.

"Alright," he agreed.

I sat him down at the table. I walked over to the sink and grabbed a paper towel. I wet it with icy cold water. Then I went back over to Darry. I lightly dabbed his cut.

"So you're going tonight? To The Dingo?" I asked. Darry nodded.

"You're coming to, aren't ya?" he asked confused.

"I don't know," I blurted. "Is it safe? I don't want to get hurt. I'm not going if there are gonna be drunk guys causing trouble."

"It's completely safe, Sophie," Darry said.

"I hope you're not just saying that," I said. "The girls were telling me the same exact thing, but I think they're just saying that because the want me to come so badly."

Darry was quite for a minute.

"Listen, Sophie," he finally said. "Because The Dingo has a bar, _obviously_ there will be a few drunkards there. But I can assure you, there probably won't be any trouble."

This was his greatest attempt to get me to tag along? I groaned.

"Okay, I'll go," I said. "But if anything starts, I'm leaving the place."

"Fair enough," Darry said.

I decided that maybe it would be okay. We would just go there to hang out and listen to music, after all. And hopefully, _hopefully,_ there wouldn't be anyone causing fights. But I was wrong.

We arrived late at The Dingo later on. Before we even got out of the truck, we could hear the music booming from inside. My heart pounded inside my rib cage. My cousins and I walked up to the door. It was already a madhouse inside.

"Hey Sophie!" Kathy, Evie, and Clare all rushed over to me. They were all holding beer bottles.

"Hey guys," I said weakly. Then I noticed their cloths.

They were different than from before. But they weren't any fancier. Maybe a little, but not a lot.

"Great party, huh?" Evie asked.

"I don't know, ask me in the morning," I replied. All three of them laughed. I guess they didn't realize I was being serious.

"C'mon," Clare said. "We'll show you around."

They did just that. There wasn't that much to see. Plus I'd already been to The Dingo. It was the same as last time; a couple of booths, a bar, and in the back there was a TV where you could watch movies.

After an hour of hanging around, I still wasn't satisfied. Kathy and Evie stood next to me with their second bottles of beer. We watched Clare flirt with some brown-haired guy across the bar.

"Hey you guys," someone said loudly behind us. It was Two-Bit.

He and Steve joined us at the bar. They must of been loaded.

"Ain't this a fuun party?" Steve asked.

Everyone agreed except me. Just then, "Jailhouse Rock" began to play. Steve smirked.

"This is my chance," he said.

The next thing I knew, he was on top of a table, singing the song. The guys hooted and the girls screamed, including Kathy and Evie. Steve did a flip off of the table. The guys at the bar went nuts. The smashed their bottles against the tables. They threw garbage into the air. It was a madhouse! It was too overwhelming for me. Without thinking twice, I pushed my way through the rough crowd heading straight toward the door. I ran outside and continued running until I was a safe distance away from The Dingo.

I was huffing and puffing hard. I looked down at the ground. Suddenly, in the moonlight, I could make out a shadow creeping toward me. I heard footsteps getting close to me.

Then someone grabbed my shoulder.


	15. Chapter 15: He Gets Me Now

**Hey guys I'm sorry that chapter 14 was a little off. I just really wanted to update the story so I guess I rushed a little. Well, I hope I do better with chapter 15. I can't wait for you guys to read it! I had this part of the story planned out ever since I wrote chapter 6. As always, enjoy! **

I screamed and whipped around. Johnny stood behind me, looking startled.

"Whoa, calm down Sophie," he said. "It's just me."

"Johnny!" I cried. "Holy _crap, _you gave me a heart attack!"

He smiled shyly at me.

"Sorry," he said quietly.

I let out a sigh of relief. I could of sworn Johnny was a Soc about to jump me. But instead, I get _him._

"What are you doing out here, anyway?" he asked me.

"The gang dragged me to this party at The Dingo," I began. "And things got really crazy. Steve was high as hell and he got up on a table and started singing 'Jailhouse Rock'. Then he does a flip off the table and God knows what he's doing now. Then these guys at the bar start getting rowdy. They were breaking bottles and throwing garbage. It was just too overwhelming for me. I needed to get out."

I paused. Johnny was looking at me with concern.

"Yeah," he said. "That's why I don't go to that stuff on Saturdays. It's just too dangerous."

"They promised me," I whispered. "They all promised me that stuff doesn't happen. But they were wrong. And they knew it."

"Who are you talking about?" Johnny asked.

"Darry and the girls," I said angrily. "They all wanted me to go to The Dingo. I knew there would be trouble, and they practically lied to my face. They said that no fights would happen. We would just go there and hang out. But none of that stuff went on at all!"

We were both quit for a minute. A cool wind blew, and a strand of my hair got in my face.

"I'm sorry to hear that," Johnny said. He reached over and pulled the strand of hair that was in my face behind my ear. "I'm sure they didn't mean to hurt you."

I stared at him for the longest time. Then I felt myself blush and looked away. Stupid cheeks. Would there ever be a time when I didn't turn red around him?

"So you, uh, want to go to the park?" he asked. I smiled.

"Sure," I said.

We walked to the park in silence. The whole time I was focused on his hand.

_Just frickin hold my hand! _I thought.

We walked over to the fountain and sat down.

"By the way," I said. "What are _you _doing out here?"

He stared at the ground.

"Not being near my parents, that's for sure," he said.

"Why?" I asked.

He closed his eyes for a few seconds. When he opened them, they were still focused on the ground.

"Sophie, can I tell you something?"

I nodded. But I already knew what he was going to say. Johnny took a deep breath.

"Okay," he began. "I don't know if anyone told you this, but . . ." His voice trailed off.

"But what, Johnny?"

He looked back up at me.

"My parents beat me at home," he finally said.

"What?!" I pretended to be surprised.

"Yeah," he said.

"Johnny, that's horrible! You can't just let them get away with that!" I wasn't faking it now.

"What am I gonna do about it, Sophie?"

"It's child abuse! They should be arrested!"

Johnny chuckled. He _chuckled!_

"Johnny," I said sternly. "I'm being serious! Why are you laughing?"_  
_

"The fuzz ain't gonna do anything about it," he said like it was no big deal. "This kind of thing always happens. There are plenty of drunkards out here who beat people, and what do the fuzz do about it? Nothing! That's the risk you're taking when you live in Tulsa. And it's not just drunkards. You know them Socs who jumped us at DQ last week? How they were carrying them switch blades around? You didn't see them getting in trouble, did you?"

By now Johnny was getting really upset. I felt bad for making him upset.

"Johnny—"

"It's because the Socs can do whatever they want! No one pays attention to them, so that's why they can go around and get drunk up and jump us Greasers. Our buddy, Dally, had to start carryin' around a heater because of how bad things have been gettin'!"

I made a face.

"A heater? What's that?"

"Oh, a gun. It's really scary and cruel. Dally doesn't care if he needs to pull a gun out on someone; he'll do it. He'll shoot them like he means it."

All of this talk about guns was bringing back my past. Specifically the night Pa died. The robbers. The two of us running down the hall. The shots from the gun. That cry of agony coming from . . .

Tears sprang into my eyes. I put my face in my hands. I didn't want Johnny to see me like this.

"Sophie?" Johnny said. "What's wrong?"

I looked up at him. My face was stained with tears. I opened my mouth but no words came out. I buried my face back in my hands and cried.

"Sophie . . ." Johnny spoke quietly.

I lifted my head but I looked at the ground.

"My pa," I whispered.

"What?"

"M-my pa—well . . . that's what I used to call him—h-he was shot. My house and barn was being r-robbed and they g-got him. I was right t-there and I saw everything. I h-held him when he d-died. Th-at's why I had to come h-here to Tulsa. So my c-cousins could take c-care of me."

I finally managed to look at Johnny. He looked even more upset.

"Gosh, Sophie," he said. "I'm real sorry. I didn't mean to make you sad."

That made me cry even harder. I guess he didn't know what else to do, so Johnny embraced me into a hug. I sobbed into his sweatshirt and he rubbed my back in comfort. It was good to finally tell him the truth. Now he did understand me. When I was done crying, he wiped away my tears.

"Listen, Sophie," he said. "Please don't cry anymore."

I nodded and he let me go. We were quiet for a few minutes.

"So your horse barn . . ." he started.

I looked at him.

"Well . . . did you have a horse?"

I nodded.

"Yeah," I said. "I did. Her name was Tilly, and she was a fifteen-year-old gray mare. She was the most beautiful gray ever. That means she was white. She had tiny gray spots all over her and she had a gray mane, tail, legs, and hooves. And they way I could always tell it was her was of the small red dot underneath her forelock."

Johnny met my gaze.

"Where is she now?" he asked.

"Who knows?" I said. "The last time I saw her, the robbers were pushing our herd away from my house and to the east. She could be with them. She could be roaming the great Oklahoma plains."

"Do you think there'll be a chance you'll ever get to see her again?"

"I sure hope so," I whispered. "But know matter where she is, I'll always love her."

Johnny gave me a small smile. We looked at each other for another long time. It was suddenly very quite. Then he moved closer to me. Now our shoulders touched. He paused but then leaned in. I did too. We both closed our eyes. We were so close to kissing when we heard the engine of a car down the street.

We looked up. A Mustang car was heading toward us at a slow speed.

"Oh no," Johnny said.

"What do we do?" I asked panicked.

"Don't worry," he told me. "Just keep cool."

The car came to a stop and a bunch of Socs got out. Johnny stood up instructing me to follow. They slowly approached us with sneaky smirks on their faces.

"Hey, Greasers."


	16. Chapter 16: Soc Attack

**Hey guys! So listen, I wasn't planning on updating tonight, but between my friends and some of your reviews dying to know what happens next, I've decided that this time it can't hurt. So, without further ado, chapter 16.**

They were everywhere. Socs. They were even scarier at night. It wasn't the same group who jumped us last time. They were older, more buff.

"Hey Greasers," one of them said to us.

He had reddish-brown curly hair and blue-black eyes. He held a silver container in his hand. So did the other few Socs. I suddenly realized they had alcohol. Gr-eat. Just what I need. As if getting jumped by the Socs wasn't bad enough, but _drunk_ Socs? Yup, we were in for a real show.

"Hey Greasy-boy," the red-head said to Johnny. "Who's your little friend?"

Oh, come on. Do we have to go through this every single time I come face-to-face with a Soc? Not that I'd want to!

"Is that any of your business?" I shot back.

"Feisty," one of them muttered and the other boys filled in with hoots. I rolled my eyes at them.

"You shouldn't be showing your little friend around this time of night, Greaser," the red-head said. "You'll only be putting her in more danger."

"Thanks for the tip," Johnny muttered under his breath.

"What's that?" the red-head raised his voice.

"He doesn't have to answer to you," I said in Johnny's defense.

He turned to me.

"Listen, baby-doll," he said. "I think little Greasy-boy here can speak for himself."

"Dude," I said. "I'm telling you; you'd better bit your tongue before I rip it out for you."

Johnny put his hands on my shoulders.

"Sophie," he whispered in my ear. "I think that maybe we should leave them alone."

"Why?" I said loudly so the Socs could hear. "I'm not afraid of these bas****s."

"Oh, that's what we are, huh?" the red-head said. "Look who's talking."

I don't know what happened, but I just exploded with anger. I punched the Soc right in the face.

"S**t!" he cried falling backward. His friends ran to him.

"Bob! Bob! Are you okay?" they cried.

"Run!" Johnny yelled.

We took off at a dead run. We got to the trees when I tripped on a tree root and fell.

"Ow," I moaned.

Then someone violently flipped me over. It was Bob. His face was a mess of blood.

I struggled to get away, but he pinned me down by the shoulders.

"Johnny!" I screamed. "Help!"

I looked past him. Two Socs had Johnny.

"You're not gettin' no where!" Bob yelled.

"Let me go! Get off!" I screamed. I squirmed and kicked as hard as I could, but it was no use.

I heard yelling behind Bob, but I couldn't see what was happening. Then I saw Bob slowly take out his switch blade.

"No! No! No!" I screamed.

He held it against my throat. A wide grin crossed his face. You could definitely tell he was getting satisfaction out of hurting me.

I kept screaming for help, but it wasn't doing anything. Suddenly, someone appeared behind Bob. It was Johnny. He grabbed Bob's shoulder and Bob looked back.

"_What _do you think you're doing?" Johnny asked angrily. He had a few stains of blood on his face.

"You stay out of this Greaser," Bob shot back.

"Oh, I'll tell _you_ what to stay out of!"

Johnny grabbed his hair and pulled him back. Bob howled. I tried to get up as Johnny fought Bob. The two of them fell on the ground and wrestled. Finally, Johnny got on top of Bob and held his switch blade against him. Bob's eyes were wide with fear.

"Get out of here," Johnny ordered.

Bob scrambled to get up. He and the other Socs ran to their car and quickly drove away.

Johnny put away his switch blade and came over to check on me. He bent down and hugged me. I hugged him back, so tightly.

"Sophie are you okay?" he asked.

"Yeah, I think I'm okay," I said once the hug was over.

I tried to stand up, but as soon as I did great pain went to my foot. I gasped and fell down again.

"Ow ow ow!_" _I rubbed my foot.

"What's wrong?"Johnny asked.

"My ankle. Oh man, it_ hurts_."

"Can you move it?"

I tried lifting my foot up, but when I did the pain came back.

"I can move it, but it really hurts."

Johnny looked around worried.

"Um . . . okay, here's what we'll do: you stay here and I'll go get help."

"No Johnny! Don't leave me here alone. What if the Socs come back?"

"Okay . . . what if I try take you back home?"

"How will you do that? I can't walk on my foot, and my house is like, 15 minutes from here."

Johnny thought for a moment.

"Then I'm just going to have to carry you to the hospital."

"What?!" I exclaimed. "Johnny, you can't! Darry'll kill you!"

I blushed hard. I was anxious about the fact that _Johnny_ would have to _carry me _to the hospital. But I didn't want him to get in trouble.

"We don't got any other choice, Sophie," Johnny said. "If it makes you feel better, I'll carry you on my back instead."

I really didn't see how we had any other option.

"Fine," I agreed.

Johnny helped me stand up. He helped me over to one of the trees. I let go of him and used the tree for balance. Then he bent down.

"Okay, on the count of three, I want you to hop on," he said.

I was really afraid I would hurt him, but I'd never say that aloud. That would make me sound fat, and I'm not.

"One, two, three, now!"

Just as Johnny told me, I hopped onto his back. He went down at first, but he steadied himself. I wrapped my arms around his neck so I wouldn't fall off.

"You okay?" I asked. He hitched me up higher.

"Yeah, I'm fine," he said.

"Okay, now giddy-up, horse!" I said tapping his shoulder. We both laughed.

Johnny started walking. I hoped that no one would see us. I knew that we would look silly, and _so _wrong. And that's exactly how part of me felt. But another part of me felt like Heaven. How could something look so wrong, but feel so right? I stared at Johnny's heavily-greased black hair. It was just so shiny. It was overwhelming not to run my hands through it. Or even touch it. I wanted so badly to just rest my head on Johnny's shoulder. But I could see that wasn't an option here.

Twenty long minutes later, we got to a hospital. It was funny, really. Two weeks ago, I got out of the hospital, and here I am now, sitting in the examining room with a nurse again. Johnny was at the phones calling my cousins.

The nurse grabbed my ankle and I winced. She ran her hands up and down it, then wrote information down on a clip board. When she was done she put me in a wheel chair and wheeled me down to my room. I sat on the bed and watched the nurse search around the room. She grabbed a pillow and had me lay my foot on it. Then she got me an ice pack.

"I want you to ice your ankle," she said handing me the pack. "I'll be back in a few minutes after I've run some tests."

I placed the ice pack on my ankle. The coldness made me jumpy at first, but then I put it in on the right place on my ankle.

A few minutes later, Johnny found my room.

"There you are," he said walking in. "I was trying to find you, but I didn't know you got a room."

He came over to the bed and sat down next to me.

"How's you're ankle?" he asked. I shrugged.

"It feels better with the ice on it," I said. I applied a little pressure on the ice pack.

"I got off the phone with Darry a few minutes ago. He said that he, Soda, and Ponyboy would be here in 10 to 15 minutes. They're probably on their way right now."

"That's good. Hey, how come it took us twenty minutes to get here, but them only ten?"

Johnny smiled at me. I felt him take my hand. My pulse quickened.

"Probably because we walked, and they're driving," he said.

"Oh . . . yeah," I said stupidly.

"Was that the nurse who just walked out?"

I nodded. It was hard to concentrate with the energy humming between us.

"She went to go do some tests," I said nervously.

Johnny's smile faded. He moved closer to me and rubbed my back.

"Don't worry," he said. "I'm sure everything will be fine." I stared at the ground.

"Yeah," I whispered. "I hope so." I could see Johnny looking at me out of the corner of my eye.

We sat there in silence for a few minutes.

"Sophie . . ." Johnny said softly. I looked at him. Our faces were within inches from each other.

His hand went under my chin and he bent his head toward mine. I closed my eyes. Our lips were almost brushing.

Suddenly, Darry, Soda, and Ponyboy burst into the room. I jumped and sat up. Johnny moved as far to the other end of the bed as possible. _Damnit!_

"Sophie!" Darry exclaimed running over to us. "Thank goodness you're in one piece! Are you alright? Any bruises? Any broken bones?"

Darry began poking and feeling my arms and legs.

"_Dar_-ry," I said trying to wave him away. "I'm _fine. _I just hurt my ankle, it's no big deal. How'd you guys get here so fast? What'd you go speeding?"

Darry looked ashamed.

"Yes," he mumbled. I shook my head.

"Where the hell did you go?" Darry demanded. "You had me worried sick!"

"I told you that if anything would go down, I was leaving, and you agreed," I pointed out.

Darry was quiet.

"Point taken," he said

"Where's the nurse?" Soda asked.

"Right here," someone said.

They turned around.

"How is everything, nurse?" Darry asked.

"Sophie here is very lucky," she replied. "All she did was pull a muscle, nothing serious."

I let out a sigh of relief.

"Although, she'll probably be in pain for a couple more days."

I groaned.

"C'mon Sophie," Soda said. "It could of been worse."

I eyed him.

"Yeah, but didn't you hear? I'll be in pain for a couple more days."

The nurse chuckled.

"I'll go get her antibiotics," she said. Then she left the room.

"How'd you guys get here, anyway?" Ponyboy asked.

I glanced at Johnny. His eyes grew wide.

"Um, Johnny helped me walk," I said coming to his rescue.

Darry put his hand on Johnny's shoulder.

"Thanks for your help, Johnny," he said smiling.

"Sure thing, Dar," Johnny replied.

He and I smiled at each other.


	17. Chapter 17: Dally Returns

**Hey hey guys! I hope you enjoyed chapters 15 and 16 very much. I had them planned out for a long time. But I am sorry to say that, I'm ending _Changes For Sophie _once it gets to chapter 20. I know, I know, "But why?!" Well, it's been so fun writing this fanfic, after all, it was my first one. But I feel like twenty chapters is enough. So I hope you enjoy these last few chapters. Don't be upset, though; there's a surprise waiting for you at the end :) **

I went home with my cousins that night. The nurse had instructed me to rest my ankle on a pillow while I slept. But if the pain did come back, I was to take one pill out of the pack she gave me. And the pain did come back the next morning. I groaned and sat up in bed.

"Darry! Soda! Pony! Anyone?!" I yelled.

I suddenly heard footsteps pounding toward my room. The door swung open to reveal Darry.

"What's the problem?" he asked.

"Could you please get me a glass of water? I have to take my pill," I said.

Darry nodded and left my room. A few minutes later he came back with a full glass of water.

"Sophie," he said as I took my pill. "You do know you can't walk around, right?"

I took a swig of water.

"I can't?"

"No, the nurse said it's best that you stay off your foot."

I crossed my arms over my chest.

"Then what am I supposed to do all day?"

"Well, your friends are coming by to check on you. And so is the gang. They have someone they'd like you to meet."

"Really? Who?"

"I can't tell you." Darry smiled. "Just yell if you need anything else."

He ruffed up my hair and walked out of my room, shutting the door behind him. I sat there in bed. I guess I could use this time to read my new book I got last week, _Taming the Star Runner._

The book actually takes place right here in Tulsa. I could already tell the book wasn't that long because of how thin it was. As I was reading, I could really feel myself get sucked into the story. S.E. Hinton was an amazing author. So far, sixteen-year-old Travis has been sent to live with his uncle Ken after a violent confrontation with his as****e step-father, Stan. It's so sad how his mother choose _Stan_ over her own son. Right now, Travis meets a girl named Casey, who also happens to be his uncle Ken's employee.

I was reading for a while before I heard knocking on the door.

"It's open!" I called not looking up from my book.

"Uh . . . hey, Sophie."

I looked up. There stood Kathy, Evie, and Clare, all of them looking a bit sheepish. I silently put my book down.

"Hi," I said to them.

"Um . . . how's your ankle?" Kathy asked.

"It's a little better."

There was an awkward silence.

"Are you mad at us?" Kathy finally said.

I frowned.

"No," I said sarcastically. "I mean, I wouldn't be mad at you guys after you lied to my face about no one getting drunk at The Dingo's parties and having it effect my life."

"You mean with your ankle?" Clare asked.

"Yeah."

"Well, that part's actually not our fault."

"Well, maybe if I hadn't run out of The Dingo because of the drunk guys which you all said wouldn't be there I wouldn't of ever gone to the park and never tripped over that root and never hurt my ankle."

"Okay," Clare said backing off. "Clearly there's no point in arguing with you, because you're mind's made up."

"Seriously," I said. "How can I ever trust you guys again?"

"Okay, I do agree, the party was a slight flaw," Kathy said. "But it was just one mistake. So just give us another chance!"

"And not to add to your worries or anything Sophie, but a lot of that stuff does happen in Tulsa. Like, all the time. So I say you should get used to it fast," Evie said.

This was exactly what I needed, my friends and I fighting.

"Thanks for the great advice," I grumbled. Evie leaned against the wall.

"We didn't mean to lie to you, and we didn't want to," she began. "It just . . . happened. I guess we all wanted you to come and have fun, but your kind of fun isn't about getting drunk. You're not used to it I guess, and the rest of us are. But it's that way around Tulsa all the time. People _do _get hurt. Baldy. And sometimes there _are _murders. That's how it works. It's not supposed to, but that's what fate brings to us. And that's it."

It scared me. I just wanted to forget about it. Because what's the whole point? I'm never going to be accepted in Tulsa, and it'll never feel like Woodward. Like my _real _home.

"I'm never going to understand this place," I whispered.

"You will," Kathy said.

"No, I won't! Everything's different now! It's not Woodward, and I just hate it! I can't adjust!" My voice was raising. "It's like my world has been turned upside-down or something! And my new world doesn't except me at all!"

Kathy sat down my bed next to me. She put her arm around me.

"You're right, this isn't Woodward," she said quietly, "and everything is different now. But look at the positives; you have cousins who love you, you have friends who watch out for you, and a boyfriend—"

"_Kath_-y!" I yelled. "Johnny's _not _my boyfriend!"

She smiled. "He held your hand, didn't he?"

"Yes, but that doesn't make us a couple!"

"Actually, it kind of does," Clare said.

"It's not like we kissed or anything," I thought aloud.

The three of them screamed with excitement.

_"Shhh!" _I snapped. "Keep it down!"

"Oh my gosh! You want to _kiss_ Johnny!" Evie yelled. I blushed furiously.

"Shut up!" I shouted.

"Sophie and Johnny sittin' in a tree!" Kathy sang. "K-i-s-s-i-n—"

I hit her with my pillow to make her be quiet. She fell over on the bed laughing like a crazy person.

"All of you stop it!" I yelled.

But they were laughing too hard. Finally I couldn't control myself any longer and I laughed along with them. We were all teary-eyed when we were done with our laughing fits.

Then someone knocked on my door frame and we quickly stopped.

"Hey guys," Soda said looking puzzled. "Is everything okay in here . . . ?"

"That's none of your business, mister!" Clare joked.

Soda raised his eyebrows at her comment. She blushed and began laughing again. Kathy, Evie, and I joined her. Soda smiled watching us.

"You're getting more and more like Two-Bit everyday, Clare," Soda said to her.

He reached over and tousled her hair. She blushed even more.

"What's going on in there?" someone in the hallway asked annoyed.

Soda looked back. "Sorry, Dal. Come on in."

Soda stepped aside and a boy about the same age as Kathy and Evie stepped into my room.

"Sophie, meet Dallas Winston," Soda said.

Ohh so _that's_ who Johnny was talking about last night. Dally. He looked nothing like any one of the boys. He looked really tough and hard-headed. For one thing, unlike all the other boys, he didn't have grease in his hair, which was so blond, it was almost white. His eyes were ice-blue, cold and hard. Both the hair plus the eyes in an elfin face equaled scary, scary, SCARY! I was sure that has personality couldn't be any different from his looks, and I was right.

"Nice to meet you," I said looking straight at him, hiding my fear.

Dally didn't say anything to me. He just gave me a dirty look and lite a cigarette.

"Where you from?" he asked. I was startled.

"W-Woodward," I stammered.

"That crap hole?" He laughed.

I glared at him. I was filled with anger.

"It's not a crap hole," I shot back. "And how would you know?"

Dally looked amused, then angry.

"I've been there before. It's not that nice or big."

"Well, neither is Tulsa."

"At least there's always something to look forward to in Tulsa."

"At least in Woodward you don't have to be worried about getting killed every second of the day, because it happens to be a non-free killing zone."

"Not worrying about getting killed is boring," Dally said. "If anyone tries to pull something on me, I'd mess them up."

_Is that why you got in jail? _I thought.

Two-Bit, Steve, and Johnny suddenly appeared in the doorway.

"Hey y'all," Johnny said. Dally turned around and his face lit up like a Christmas tree.

"Johnny!" he said. He put him in a head-lock and ruffled up his hair. "Ah, how you been, kid?"

Johnny smiled and shook his head. "I'm fine, Dal. You're out of the slammer a week early!"

"Yeah," Dally said. "I've been behaving myself, so they let me go."

_I find that hard to believe, _I thought.

"Did you meet Sophie?" Johnny asked. He glanced over at me and smiled.

"Oh," Dally said. He followed Johnny's gaze and his face clouded over. "You mean _her_?"

Johnny looked at Dally, puzzled.

"Yes . . . ?" he said.

Dally rolled his eyes. "I'm going back downstairs," he announced. Then he left my room. And was I glad!

Johnny looked back at me.

"Sorry about him," he apologized.

"Is he always like that?" I asked.

I couldn't help but wonder if I sounded moody and unimpressed. I really didn't care whether I did or not. Even if Johnny and the gang did like Dally, I didn't, and unless he changed his personality then I would continue to despise him.

"Um . . . yeah . . ." Johnny said blushing. He cleared his voice. "Well, I'd better go hose him down."

He gave me a small smile and left. Then Two-Bit and Steve stepped into my room.

"We just wanted to drop-by and make sure your ankle was okay," Two-Bit said.

"So is it?" Steve asked.

"Yes, it's fine," I said. "Although, Steve! I didn't know you could sing! That was a very fine solo last night, what do you guys think?" I turned to my friends.

The applauded, and so did Two-Bit.

"Oh, shut up about last night," Steve said trying not to smile. "It's over! We can look ahead and see what awaits us next."

"Oh, shoot!" Evie suddenly exclaimed. All eyes fell on her. "Sophie, we gotta take you shoppin' for your school supplies today!"

Evie jumped up and grabbed my arm to pull me.

"Hang on, Evie," I said. "I can't walk around, remember? Not until tomorrow. For today I have to stay in bed and rest my ankle. And I don't start school until Wednesday, so why start shopping so early?"

"Because not only do you have to buy supplies, but you also have to pick up your books and you need to pick out what to wear, and you need to practice your social skills—"

"Stop," Kathy said putting her hand on Evie's shoulder. "We have all Monday and Tuesday to worry about that. And also, it's Sophie's big day, not yours."

"So a girl can't help out her dear friend?" Evie asked pretending to be offended.

I laughed and put my arm around her shoulders.

"Oh no, she can," I said, "and she'd be the best friend ever."


	18. Chapter 18: You're Mine

**Two more chapters to go! I think you guys will really enjoy chapter 18. But I'm not going to spoil it for you guys! **

As Evie had planned, us girls went shopping for my school supplies and to pick up my books on Monday, then picked out my outfit and practiced my social skills on Tuesday. By Tuesday night, I was a nervous wreck.

_What if no one likes me? Would I end up forever unaccepted in school as a person? Then what would I do? Even if I do have three friends and a cousin I can count on, what would happen to me if I were alone? Would I have to always _not _be alone? _

I tossed and turned in bed as I thought about the pressure I was under.

_Wait a second . . . didn't Ponyboy say something about _Socs _going to our school a few weeks ago?! No I gotta worry about getting my ass kicked, too?! Oh, great. This is _just _what I need._

I turned onto my stomach and buried my face in my pillow. When I thought I would nearly suffocate myself to death, I rolled over onto my backside. I let out a huge groan.

"I'm never gonna get to sleep," I thought aloud. I huffed and closed my eyes. And, surprisingly, I did fall asleep a few long minutes later.

The next morning I put on my light-pink tank top, denim shorts, and white sneakers. I pulled my hair back in a ponytail, as usual. I always felt free whenever I wore summer cloths, but I didn't know why.

Kathy, Evie, and Clare showed up at my doorstep while I was in the middle of eating breakfast. Ponyboy was walking to school with Two-Bit so he stayed behind.

I was just as nervous as I was last night. The girls told me not to worry, that of course I would be accepted into the school as a person, and as long as I was myself, no one would have a problem with that. They were really sweet about it, and suddenly, I wasn't as worried as I was before.

When we got to school, it looked exactly the same as it did when the guys and I passed by a few weeks ago. Except now there were kids everywhere. Some of them lay down on the grass underneath the trees, some of them sat down on benches and chatted away, and some of them hung out by the stairs.

The girls introduced me to a few people that they new, and they welcomed me to the school. I thought that was really nice of them.

Then the bell rang to announce that homeroom had started. Everyone scurried up the steps and crammed through the main doors. I had to go to the principal's office to get my new schedule, and Clare said she would walk me. Kathy and Evie waved us good-bye, then ran off to their homeroom classes.

The principal was nice enough. He told me a little about the school and, of course, da rules. He handed me my schedule and the school handbook. Then we left.

I had the same homeroom as Clare, which was good. When we got there the teacher had me introduce myself. Everyone was friendly to me, which I was glad about. During homeroom I looked at my schedule.

First period, Algebra. Second period, English. Third period, Spanish. Fourth period, History. Fifth period, lunch. Sixth period, Chemistry. Seventh period, free. And eight period, Literature.

Clare told me that I have the same Spanish class as Kathy and the same Chemistry class as Evie. But all four of us have the same lunch period and the same free period. How ironic was that!

My first day at my new school went by in a flash. None of my classes were fun, except for the ones I had with my friends. Typical school. We passed by Ponyboy and Two-Bit a couple times in the hall, and they said "hey". Some guys flirted with me, but I just ignored them. Lunch was . . . interesting. And by "interesting", I mean the Socs causing a ginormous food-fight in the cafeteria. Kathy suggested that we eat our lunch outside, because if we didn't, the Socs would try to blame the mess on us Greasers. We didn't do anything for the free period, we just sat under a tree and talked. And then, before I knew it, my first day of school in Tulsa was over.

The last bell rang and the mad crowds burst through the doors. I walked down the steps with Kathy, Evie, and Clare.

"So Sophie," Kathy said. "You survived your first day at your new school. How do you feel?"

"I feel like I was worried for nothing," I replied. "Although, I did not see the food fight coming."

We all laughed. Then I thought I heard someone calling my name. Wait a minute, I did.

"Hey Sophie!"

I looked around for the voice.

"Over here!"

I stopped looking when I saw Johnny at the bottom of the steps. He waved. I smiled and waved back. I glanced at my friends.

"Do you guys—"

"Nope, not at all," Kathy said with a big smile on her face. She jerked her chin. "There's Two-Bit and Ponyboy right now. We'll catch up with them. See ya later!"

Kathy and Evie took off running.

"Good luck!" Clare said and dashed off after them.

I shrugged and headed down the steps to Johnny.

"Hey," I greeted.

"Hey," he said back. "I'm sorry, I didn't mean to interrupt things with your friends."

"Nah, it's fine," I said waving my hand. "They were going to catch up with Pony and Two-Bit, anyway."

"Oh, okay. Good." Johnny smiled at me.

"What are you doing here, anyway?" I asked.

"Well . . . I, um . . . wanted to see if . . . you wanted to hang out today? In the lot?" Johnny turned bright red. My heart beat faster.

"You mean . . . just you and me?"

I could of immediately smacked myself.

_You mean . . . just you and me? Yes, who else, idiot?_

"Yeah," Johnny said slowly. "I mean, if you want to—"

"No no, I do," I interrupted.

"Oh, okay. Cool." He smiled goofy. I loved it when he did that. It made him look so cute.

It took a few minutes to walk from the school to the lot. But when we finally got there a remembered something at last minute.

"Oh! Johnny I forgot, I have to do my homework," I groaned.

"No problem," he said. "You can just do your home work in the lot. I'll be right there next to you if you need any help."

"Aw, that's sweet," I said. "Thanks."

But I really didn't see how Johnny was going to help me with my homework, considering he didn't go to school. But I'm sure that was just another excuse for something . . .

We walked in and I threw my backpack down. I sat down next to it and Johnny sat down next to me. I took out my English and began working quietly.

After a few minutes, Johnny asked, "So how was your first day of school?"

"It was . . . different," I said looking up from my work. "But really not what I'm used to."

"Oh, yeah? What happened?"

"Different periods, food fights, and there were these really annoying guys trying to flirt with me."

"What?!" Johnny exclaimed.

I was startled.

"What's wrong?" I asked.

Johnny looked away from me and stared at the ground.

"Nothing," he grumbled. "You wouldn't care, anyways."

"Johnny," I said. "When you say it like that, of course I would. Now what's the matter?"

Johnny was silent.

"Aaaagh!" he said in frustration. He got up and started pacing back and fourth.

"Johnny . . ." I said in a waiting voice.

"It's just . . . did you like it?" he blurted.

"What?—"

"Did you, you know, like when those guys flirted with you? Did you encourage it?"

I looked at him weird.

"No . . ." I said. "And why would—" Then that's when it hit me. "Oh my gosh, Johnny. Are you actually _jealous _of those guys?"

He stopped pacing.

"What? No! Why would I be?"

I raised my eyebrows. He hesitated, but then let out a big sigh.

"Why would you be jealous?" I wondered.

Johnny buried his hands in his face.

"Because," he muffled. "I like you."

I could of sworn my heart stopped beating. I was speechless.

"You—what?"

He looked up at me.

"You heard me," he said with confidence. "I like you. But you've got loads of them other guys chasin' ya. You should pick one of them. Heck, what am I even saying? You probably don't even feel the same way about me anyways."

His head dropped. That was the most heartbreaking thing I had ever heard. I got up and walked over to him.

"Oh yeah?" I asked. "And what if I'm not interested in a single one of those guys, Johnny?"

Johnny lifted his head up. Our eyes locked.

"But why?" he asked.

"Because," I said, "I choose you. You're everything a girl could ever want. Your kind, sweet, and smart. You'd never do anything wrong, and everyone adores you."

"I think just I'm a regular guy," Johnny said. "I'm not all that special."

I stared at him. I found his hands and took them.

"Johnny, do you know that you're the only reason I actually _like _Tulsa? Before I came here, I thought I would hate it. I knew it wouldn't be anything like my old life, living on a horse ranch and barrel racing. I couldn't do any of that stuff out here. And then when I met you . . . it's like everything was instantly different. My whole world was turned upside-down."

I swung his hands.

"You saved me from the drunk Soc in the park last weekend, and then when I thought I injured my ankle, you offered to carry me on your back. And it's a good thing you didn't tell Darry, or else he might of screwed your head off!"

We both laughed. Johnny's grief faded away.

"Sophie," he said quietly. "Do you really feel that way about me?"

I let go of his hands and threw my arms around his neck.

"Yeah," I whispered. "I do."

I looked deep into his perfect dark eyes. And I never knew, despite all the things I'd heard about him, that Johnny had a sparkle in his eyes. I guess no one was ever close enough to him to see that. Not even his own mother, sadly.

We stared at each other. We stayed that way for a while, just soaking each other in. Johnny moved closer to me, closing the gap between us. We went from chest-to-chest to face-to-face. I knew what was coming. He reached down and I stretched up on my tiptoes so I could reach. We both close our eyes. His lips touched mine, and we kissed. It was a really nice kiss, but after ten seconds I pulled away.

"Johnny," I whispered. "You're mine."

We smiled, goofy and happy. Johnny leaned back in, and my lips parted to meet his. Johnny's arm slipped around my waist and he pulled me close. This beautiful boy was kissing me and holding me close. It felt amazing.

I would never be "never be kissed" by Johnny Cade ever again.

**Review loves ;)**


	19. Chapter 19: A Visit From an Old Friend

**Omg, you guys! Thank you so much for getting me up to 30 reviews! It means the world to me, especially since _Changes For Sophie _is ending. Which reminds me, we only have one more chapter to go! **

When I woke up Saturday morning, the house was very quiet. Too quite. And that was strange, because I was living with three boys. I got out of bed and padded downstairs to the kitchen. There was a note left on the table.

_Sophie,_

_Darry and me went to work. Ponyboy's out with the gang. They're going to the train station to pick up your friend. They'll be back in a little bit. I don't think Johnny's doing anything, though. Why don't you call him and see if he wants to hang out?_

_Your cousin,_

_Sodapop Curtis_

I almost forgot Brook was coming to visit today! Ahhhh! I was so excited to see her and I couldn't wait to introduce her to everyone and show her around. Oh. Everyone.

I turned the paper over and found Johnny's name and number on the back.

I smiled just thinking about him. But I was a little nervous to call him. I hadn't seen him since that day in the lot, when we . . . kissed. I still couldn't believe it. Johnny and I had kissed! We _kissed! _Eeeee!

But it was even more frustrating now! Were we boyfriend and girlfriend? Did we even _want_ that? I sure did, and I bet Johnny did too. But was it too soon? I've never been in a relationship before, and when Johnny and I kissed? That was the _only _time I'd ever kissed a boy. Well, I'd kissed Pa plenty of times when I was a little girl, but that didn't really count, since he was my dad. So my kiss with Johnny was my first. And it was glorious!

I decided I wouldn't get to find out any of these answers if I didn't call Johnny and invite him over. So with all of my courage, I walked over to the phone and dialed the number. I hoped one of his alcoholic parents didn't pick up. Wait . . . what if Johnny wasn't even home?

Before I could hang up, someone answered the phone. I was glad to hear a quiet teenager's voice on the other line.

"Hello?"

"Hey Johnny, it's Sophie!"

"Sophie! Hey!" Johnny sounded really happy to hear my voice, which made me glad. "What's up?"

"I was wondering if you'd like to come over. The gang's gone to the train station to pick up my friend who's visiting from Woodward, so when they get back we can both meet up with them."

"Sure, I'd love to come over. I'll be there in ten, 'kay?" He was so cute.

"Okay, see you then."

"Bye!"

"Bye!"

I hung up and went upstairs to change. Let's seee. What outfit would you wear when your best friend who hasn't seen you in two weeks and when the guy you kissed are both coming over?

Oh, I know! I slipped into my red and white striped hoodie shirt and my black pants. I put on the same sneakers I wore on my first day of school.

A few minutes later, Johnny showed up at my door step.

"Hey," I said welcoming him in.

"Hey," he said kissing my nose. He pulled me into a hug.

"So what do you wanna do?" I asked when he pulled back. He shrugged.

"I dunno, watch TV?" he said.

"Sure, why not?" I agreed.

Johnny sat down on the couch and I crawled over to the TV. I turned it on and an image of Mickey Mouse appeared on screen. Johnny seemed to enjoy it, so I didn't make a fuss and sat down next to him. We quietly watched TV for a few minutes, but it was boring. I couldn't take it any longer.

"I don't get it!" I suddenly said. "How does Two-Bit like this stuff?"

Johnny laughed. "No one knows, I think he just finds it entertaining."

Minnie Mouse stepped into Mickey's box-cart and sat down next to him. Mickey told his dog, Pluto, to go and he took them on a ride through the town. I seized this as a chance to talk to Johnny about the "couple" thing.

"Mickey and Minnie are such a cute couple!" I exclaimed.

Johnny smiled in agreement. I cleared my voice.

"And . . . speaking of which . . . um, Johnny—"

"Yes, Sophie?"

My gaze fell on him. I couldn't help but notice how serious he had suddenly become.

"Can I . . . ask you something?"

"Sure, anything."

I was silent.

"This is kinda hard to say . . ." I began. "But um . . . are we . . . you know . . ."

"A couple? Like . . . boyfriend and girlfriend?" Johnny said finishing for me. I blushed hard.

"Yeah," I whispered. He looked uncomfortable.

"I don't know . . ." he answered slowly. "I mean . . . do you want to be?"

A smile poked through his serious mood. I found myself smiling, too.

"I don't know," I answered. "Do _you _want to be?"

I thought we were going to get no where with this conversation.

_Do you want to be a couple?_

_I don't know, do _you?

_I don't know, do _you?

But then Johnny said, "Yeah . . . yeah, I do. I'd like that a lot, actually."

My mouth dropped open, but I was cheesing.

"Really?!" I squeaked. "I mean . . . sure, that's cool. I'd like that a lot, too. Actually, I think I'd even love it. I don't know about you, but I've never been in a relationship before, and it would be a good experience—"

I was cut off when Johnny leaned over and kissed me. We had kissed for the second time! I was amused, but an a good way, of course. When we pulled apart, there was a huge smile on my face.

"That was a really nice way to get me to shut up," I said giggling.

Johnny laughed and kissed me again. Then he put his arm around me. I rested my head on his shoulder and snuggled close to him. He squeezed my shoulder. We were one mushy couple. I liked it a lot, this feeling I had been yearning for which seemed like forever. But I finally got it.

"So what are we going to tell the gang?" I asked.

"I don't know, but I think half of them already knew we liked each other before we were a couple," Johnny responded.

"I think you're right," I said. "Kathy, Evie, and Clare know, and so does Ponyboy."

"And Two-Bit knows, too. He confronted me about it."

"So then you're right. Half of them do know. Should we tell the rest of the gang?"

Johnny moved his head so now it touched mine.

"With so much going on, I think we should wait," he said.

"For how long?" I asked.

"Maybe until next week?"

I thought about it.

"Yeah, I guess."

I turned my head toward Johnny's. Now our foreheads touched and he looked like a Cyclops. I felt his greasy bangs against my forehead. I moved my head away a little so I could re-arrange them. I finger combed Johnny's bangs and then pushed them back. But they fell back on his forehead in shaggy clumps. I chuckled.

"Man, Johnny. Those Socs were right. You _do _need a haircut," I joked. Johnny smirked.

"I thought my haircut was part of what made me a hunk?" he teased.

I rolled my eyes and snorted.

"You're so bad," I said resting my head on his shoulder again.

"Hell yes!" he said.

I smiled and lifted my head up. I leaned in and kissed him. I threw my arms around him and pulled myself closer. He moved his hands on my waist. We were enjoying ourselves when we suddenly heard a car door slam. I paused to regard Johnny.

"They're here," he said with a frown.

"Aw," I groaned. I untangled myself from Johnny.

We both stood up. I looked out the window and saw a familiar looking girl getting her suitcase out of Two-Bit's truck. It was Brook! I almost forgot she was coming to visit! I guess making out with Johnny kind of threw me off guard.

Oh, come on. Who doesn't get thrown off guard after they just kissed somebody?

I ran through the door and down the pathway.

"BROOK!"

She turned around with a big smile on her face. She hadn't changed a bit. I melted into her embrace. I hugged her so hard, my best friend, Brook.

I'm not sure how long the hug lasted, but it was pretty long. When we finally pulled apart, we both had big smiles on our faces.

"Omigosh, Sophie! It's so good to see you again!" Brook squealed.

"You too!" I said excited.

We both jumped up and down and hugged again. When we pulled back we were both laughing.

"There's so much I wanna show you!" I said. "Let's go inside first."

I grabbed Brook's suitcase and I took her inside. She glanced around the house.

"So this is your cousin's place," she confirmed. "Pretty nice."

"I know, and I even have my very own room," I bragged.

Ponyboy and Two-Bit walked through the door.

"I'm sure you've already met those two, right?" I asked Brook. She nodded.

"Yup, Ponyboy and Two-Bit. Am I correct?"

"A-okay," Two-Bit said giving her a thumbs-up.

She smiled at him. Johnny walked in from the kitchen. He had a bottle of root beer in his hand.

"Hey Johnny," I said. "C'mere."

Johnny walked over to us looking cute as ever with that shy smile on his face.

"Johnny, this is my best friend, Brook and Brook, this is my friend, Johnny," I said introducing them.

"Hi," Johnny said shaking Brook's hand. "Nice to meet you. Welcome to Tulsa."

"Thank you very much, Johnny," Brook said smiling. "I've heard so much about you in Sophie's letters."

"You have?" Johnny asked.

Brook's not the best secret keeper, and I should of seen what was heading my way. I gave her a look that told her she shouldn't of mentioned my letters. I saw Two-Bit and Ponyboy eye each other.

"What she means is," I said pretending to be embarrassed, "that I have written to her about you and the _rest _of the gang a lot. _Right, _Brook?"

I guess she got the message. "Oh yes, of course, that's exactly what I meant," she said quickly.

My eyes bugged, and she mouthed exasperated, _"Sorry!" _But when she turned around, Johnny raised his eyebrows at me and smirked like, "You _wrote _about me?" I shot him a warning glance, and he backed off.

Suddenly, Kathy, Evie, and Clare burst through the door.

"Hellooo!" Kathy called, her voice echoing through the house. I winced.

"Kath," I said the slightest bit annoyed. "We're right here."

"Oopsy daisies," she said.

"Who's this?" Evie asked gesturing at Brook.

I placed my hands lightly on Brook's shoulders.

"Guys," I said. "Meet my best friend, Brook. Brook, that's Kathy, Evie, and Clare."

"Hey," Brook said in a friendly way.

"How are ya?" Kathy asked.

"Glad to see you made it here okay," said Clare.

"You're going to love it around here," said Evie.

Suddenly an angry Dallas Winston stormed into the house. He stopped when he saw Brook.

"Oh great," he muttered."There's more people moving in?"

Brook glanced his way.

"Who're you?" she asked.

"Well who're you?" Dally shot back.

Surprisingly, Brook wasn't annoyed. I mean, I personally know Brook, and if someone usually gave her the tude, she's kick their ass. But not this time.

"I asked you first," Brook pointed out. Dally smirked.

"It's Steve," he lied. "Steve Randle." She looked at him funny.

"Really?" she asked. "Because Sophie over there has showed me a picture of Steve Randle, and you look nothing like him."

Dally glared at me like it was my fault that I had ruined his little game.

"Don't look at her like that," Brook snapped.

Dally quickly glanced back at her. He just gave her a cold stare for a long time. But then he _laughed! _Not just me, but _everyone _was amused.

"Alright, you got me," Dally confessed. Brook smiled, winning her satisfaction.

"I'm Dallas Winston, but everyone calls me Dally. Or Dal. You can call me that or whatever," he said going over to her.

Brook made small talk with my friends and Dally. I smiled and leaned against Johnny. Thankfully, the others didn't seem to notice. They were too busy talking with Brook. I was so happy to have my best friend back, and now that she'd gotten along with almost everybody, I couldn't wait to show her around. Good thing I wasn't worried about my best friend's encounter with Tulsa. With Brook, I would never be disappointed.

"So everything worked out just like you planned, eh?" Johnny whispered in my ear. I looked up at him and he was smiling.

"You bet it did, Johnny," I said smiling back at him. "You bet it did."


	20. Chapter 20: A Happy Ending

**This is it guys, the end of the line! The last chapter is complete, and the fanfic will now come to an end. Please enjoy this special last chapter. **

A few months later, I finally convinced Soda to take me down to his old riding barn so I could try and get a job as a stable hand. I invited Johnny to come with us, and he said he would love to.

Soda dropped us off in front of the big barn.

"I'll pick you guys up in an hour," he told us. "Say 'hi' to Hank for me!"

We watched Soda pull away and get onto the main road. We watched until his truck disappeared around the bend.

I was dressed in a dark T-shirt, my worn-out jeans, and my riding boats. "Horse clothes" was what I liked to call them. It felt so right to finally put these familiar clothes back on from months ago. It felt like I was living in the past, and yet it didn't. My past was gone, and my future was right here in front of me, waiting.

"Let's go," I said pulling Johnny's hand.

We walked up to the big door and pushed it open. Inside there were miles of empty stalls. An old man in a gray tank top and blue overalls walked over to us.

"Well howdy!" he exclaimed. He took his cigarette out of his mouth. "Somethin' I can help you folks with?"

"Yes, are you Hank?" I asked.

He turned his hat so now the front faced the wall.

"Why, yes I am!" He let out a belly laugh.

"Great," I said smiling. "I'm Sophie." I shook Hank's hand. "And that's my boyfriend, Johnny." Hank shook Johnny's hand too.

"I don't know if you remember him, but Sodapop Curtis is my cousin," I said. "He used to ride here?"

Hank scratched his head as if trying to remember. Then he snapped his fingers.

"Yes, I do remember the boy!" he exclaimed. "He used to own a horse here. Now what was his name, again . . . ? Oh, I got it! Mickey Mouse!"

"Yes, that's right," I said. "And he said that this was the best riding barn in all of Tulsa."

"Sodapop said that?" Hank asked.

"Yes, sir," Johnny said politely. "On the car ride here."

"Aw," Hank gushed. "Well, that's very nice of him."

"Yes, it sure is," I agreed. "Anyways, since he mentioned it, I was wondering if I would be able to get a job here. As a stable hand?"

"Well, let's see," Hank said. "First, you have to answer a few questions."

"Okay," I agreed.

"First, if you wanna work here, you gotta to be at least sixteen or older."

"I am," I answered.

"Second, if you wanna work here, you gotta have a good experience with horses. That means knowing how to feed them, groom them. And there's work for their stalls and their tack."

"Sir, I've lived on a horse ranch all my life, plus I had a horse of my own to take care of. I think I can handle it."

Hank chuckled.

"And third, if you wanna work here, you have to be willing to do whatever job I give you. And sometimes, maybe, just _maybe _. . . I'll let you ride a horse if all the work is finished."

My face lit up.

"Deal!" I said shaking his hand. "Oh, sir, thank you so much for this opportunity! I won't let you down!"

Hank chuckled again. "You're very welcome, Sophie. You can call me Hank, by the way."

"Okay, _Hank_," I said with a huge smile. Hank smiled back at me.

"You kids can go in the field and check out the horses, if you'd like. Just be careful."

"Okay, we will!" I already called heading toward the door. Johnny was right behind me.

We pushed the heavy door open and walked out to the field.

Johnny and I held hands and slowly strolled through the field, watching the horses graze.

"I'm really happy for you, Soph," Johnny said smiling. I smiled back and rested my head on his shoulder.

"Thanks, Johnny," I said. "I'm really glad I got the job. Now I'll get to hang around horses again."

"And you'll get to ride again, too," he added.

We quieted down when we got near a group of horses grazing.

]They were all different colors, both dark and light. Some of them had patches and spots all over them and some of them had markings on their faces and legs. A few of them looked familiar, like some of my old horses. But a lot of horses looked alike, and it wasn't possible for any of my horses to be here..

We approached the horses silently.

"Wow," Johnny whispered. "They look so peaceful while they're grassing. No kicking or being stubborn, they're just themselves."

I laughed.

"Don't let the quiet act fool you, Johnnycakes," I told him. "All horses look like that while they're grassing. Why wouldn't they be, anyway? They're _eating. _That's the number 1 thing horses love to do."

"Then you're a real horse expert, aren't you?" Johnny asked slipping his arm around my waist.

"I wouldn't say that," I said. "But you sure can!"

We both laughed. I peeled myself off of Johnny and slowly walked up to a buckskin colored horse with a brown mane and tail. His ears pricked and he lifted his head.

"Hey boy," I whispered. I held my hand out and continued toward him. "Come here . . ."

He walked right up to me and shoved his head against my chest. I laughed and stroked his long, tangled mane.

"Johnny, c'mere," I said. Johnny walked up and hid behind me.

"C'mon," I said stepping aside. Now he and the buckskin were face-to-face.

"There's nothing to be afraid of," I assured him. Because I knew my boyfriend. And by the way he was refusing to take a single step toward the gelding, he _was _scared. "He won't hurt you."

The buckskin decided he didn't want to wait for Johnny and turned around and trotted off, taking the herd of horses with him.

"Oh," I said disappointed. Johnny looked embarrassed.

"Sorry," he apologized.

"We just need to get you used to the horses," I decided. "C'mon, let's go follow them."

We walked around the busy area were the horses had disappeared. When we got around it, the _entire_ field came into view. It was ginormous! No matter where I looked, there were horses nearby. Horses here, and horses there. Horses everywhere!

"Whoa," I breathed.

"How many horses does Hank have here?" Johnny wondered.

We made our way through the groups of horses. They were beautiful horses and ponies, old and young. We were walking through a spot with few horses when one of them in the back caught my eye.

I slowly turned and I saw her. I froze. An extraordinary white mare with gray speckles all over her. She had a gray mane, tail, legs, and hooves. She was munching on grass happily, her tail swishing. But . . . could it possibly be her?

Johnny noticed me staring. "Soph . . . ?" he said.

I put my finger to my lips to tell him to be quiet.

"Don't move, don't even make a sound," I ordered him.

"But what's—"

_"Shhh!" _I snapped. Johnny looked down at the ground. I felt bad and quickly hugged him.

"I'm sorry I snapped at you, Johnny," I apologized. "But we have to be quiet!"

"But why?"

"Because . . ." I started. I turned and pointed at the mare. "See that white horse over there? I think . . . that may be _my _horse." Johnny raised his eyebrows.

"Tilly?"

"Yeah, but there's only one way to find out. Just stay here, I'll be right back."

"Okay, but be careful! Horses can hurt you real bad!"

It was sweet how he was looking out for me and not wanting anything to happen to me, but it was also kinda annoying. I mean, hello! I've been around horses all my life here. I can always tell when they're about to bolt or buck.

I made my way slowly over to the horse. My heart pounded inside my chest. The mare looked up at me. My throat closed for the fear that she may run. But she didn't. She stood right where she was, being cautious of my every move.

"Tilly?" My voice cracked. "Tilly? Is that you, girl?"

The horse's ears pricked up. Then she began to move toward me. We were both moving in, getting closer to each other with every step. I finally got close enough to touch her. But I was nervous. Would she let me?

I held my hand up, and she stopped. I moved in inch closer. She didn't back away. I touched her soft muzzle, and she nickered softly. I took a deep breath. This was it. The moment I would find out who the mare really was.

I reached up to touch the mare's forelock. I grabbed it lightly and pulled it to the side and . . . a red dot. There was a tiny red dot, right in the center of her forehead.

It _was _her. It was _HER!_

"Tilly!" I cried.

I threw my arms around her neck and embraced her. Sobs burbled up, but they didn't last for long. The burbled and then turned into laughter. I pulled back and Tilly nuzzled my shoulder, as she always did.

"I never thought I would see you again!" I said to her.

I knew she couldn't understand me, but that didn't matter. In the time that passed I thought that Tilly was gone forever, but now, she was here and with me. And we'd never be apart again. I stroked Tilly's powerful jaw and sleek neck.

"You're my good, sweet girl," I whispered to her.

I planted a kiss on her forehead. Tilly pushed her head affectionately against my shoulder. I glanced at Johnny. He was smiling at the both of us.

"Come on, girl," I whispered to Tilly. "There's someone I want you to meet."

I took a few steps toward Johnny and Tilly followed me. I ordered her to halt and guided Johnny over to Tilly.

"Tilly," I said. "This is Johnny."

Johnny slowly held his hand out. When he got close enough to Tilly, he hesitated before resting his hand on her nose.

"Hey there, girl," he said softly.

She shuddered, but the accepted his touch. Johnny stepped closer to Tilly and stroked her soft muzzle. A big smile blossomed across his face.

"Sophie, she's wonderful," he told me. He turned away from Tilly so now he faced me. "But since you're her owner, I can see why." I smiled at Johnny.

He pulled me close to him and lightly kissed my lips. I giggled despite myself. Tilly wormed her way in between us, making a wall between me and Johnny. We both laughed.

"Hey, you two!" Johnny and I turned to see Hank coming toward us.

"Oh, hey Hank," I said.

"Are you interested in buying this old girl?" he said once he got to us. "She's for sale. We just got her last month."

"Oh that's okay, I already own her," I told him. Hank furrowed his brow.

"'Scuse me?" he said confused.

Johnny and I laughed some more. I wrapped my arm around Tilly's neck.

"This mare is already mine. She lived with me on my ranch in Woodward, but then one night we were robbed. The robbers stole the horses and the last time I saw em', they were moving the horses toward the east," I explained.

"Well we found your herd roaming just outside of Tulsa in Sand Springs, so they certainly got away from those criminals eventually," Hank said.

He rubbed Tilly's neck. "What do you call this pretty girl here?" he asked.

"Her name's Tilly," I said beaming.

"Huh," he said. "I called her Swift for a while after I saw her gallop through the pasture. Maybe Swift can be her foal's name."

My mouth dropped open.

"What?!" I said. "Did you just say 'her foal'?"

"Yes," Hank said smiling. "Congratulations! You're horse is going to be a mother!"

I covered my hands over my mouth and shrieked. Johnny swung me up into a hug.

"Oh my God, Soph! This is huge! Congrats!" Johnny said. I was still trying to process all of this.

"Wait, wait, how is this even possible?" I wondered. "We didn't have any stallions at our barn."

I went through all of the boy horses that we used to have. Yeah, there were no stallions. Black Jack, Farmer, Goose, Nugget . . . wait . . . Nugget _was _a stallion. The only one. And I knew what _that_ meant. My expression was blank.

"Wait a sec . . . we actually _did _have one stallion. Nugget . . ." My voice trailed off. "Was he with the herd by any chance? He was a light chestnut color?"

Hank thought for a minute.

"No . . . we didn't," he said.

My face fell.

"It happens sometimes, Sophie," he said. "Horses can get separated from the herds. It's sad, but true."

I was still shocked by the fact that Nugget would . . . and Tilly, rough and stubborn _Tilly _would allow . . . ehh. I pushed that thought aside. Forget all that gross stuff, Tilly was going to have a baby! I was going to have a new horse!

My mood was bright again. I hugged Tilly once more.

"Oh Tilly," I said. I buried my face into her mane. "You're going to be a great mother."

She craned her neck so she could look at me. I kissed her again.

"I love you," I whispered. I turned to Hank. "Do we know how many months she's along?"

"The vet said about two," he replied. "Her foal should be coming by the spring they said."

"But it's only summer," I said.

"Well, you have a long time to worry about that," Hank told me. He winked.

Nothing could be more perfect. Now that I had Tilly back, my life was perfect again. And when the new foal comes, my life will be complete for sure. But there was still something missing. But this time I knew exactly what it was, and I wasn't going to wait for it.

"Hank?" I said. "Would it be okay if . . . I rode my horse? wait . . . is that even allowed because of the pregnancy?"

"The vet said she had to be exercised until she was three months along. So yes, it would be fine. I know you must of missed riding Tilly."

"Thanks," I said smiling.

We all walked back to the barn with Tilly in tow. Hank and Johnny sat on the area's fence and watched me swing onto Tilly's bareback. I'd been training Tilly to ride without a saddle and bridle, and I was going to show them what we were working on. I grabbed Tilly's mane and walked around with her.

I closed my eyes and breathed in the fresh summer air. I took a moment to just savor riding Tilly again. Relish it. Feel it. I opened my eyes and took in the landscape. The trees were lush and green, same for the shrubby areas that closed in the pasture with the many horses that roamed over the landscape.

I smiled to myself and told Tilly to trot. Then the trot picked up and turned into a canter. I would never forget Tilly's swift and fast canter, but that wasn't the best part if of our first ride in months.

I took it to the next step. I dug my heels into Tilly's sides, and the canter became faster. Before I knew it, we were flying around the field.

Tilly snorted and whinnied, her way of showing she was happy. The wind lifted my long hair off my shoulders, and I laughed as the feeling brought back so many memories.

Hank and Johnny cheered and clapped wildly from the fence.

"Yeah! Woo!" Hank shouted.

"Go Sophie! That's my girl!" Johnny yelled.

I puffed with pleasure. We turned and we galloped toward the center of the field. I pulled on Tilly's mane, ordering her to halt. And just like a familiar day on the ranch, she slide to a stop. Mountains of dust surrounded us.

And I loved every second of it.

**The End.**

**Thank you all for your reviews, favorites, and follows. If you guys want to check out _Changes For Sophie_ anytime, just go to my profile, animallover1025. You guys have really helped my first fanfic become a big success. I am very pleased with my work, and this relates to that surprise I was telling you guys about at the beginning of chapter 17. I have decided that . . . the story will go on. Surprise! I'm going to start a sequel to _Changes For Sophie_. I start softball _and _I also have my last basketball game ****next week**. So it's going to be pretty busy for me. And I'm working on community service hours for my Confirmation this month, too. So I probably won't start my sequel until Easter break. But just wait you guys; I'm sure you all will love it ;) Again, thank you all so much, you guys rock. Stay gold and do it for Johnny!  


**-Jessica S**


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